Dreaming Myself Awake
by rosetylerrox
Summary: Emma and Henry are living happily ever after in New York, but their strangely perfect lives are about to be interrupted by an unexpected visitor who talks about the woman in Emma's dreams as if she's real...and in serious danger. What follows is a tale of true love (SQ), epic battles and a truly terrible sex ed class. WARNINGS: Brief references to attempted suicide and past abuse.
1. Prologue

She was dreaming again. She couldn't remember when it had started, because the dream seemed to stretch back through her memories, even infecting those of her childhood in the foster system and her time in prison. She could've sworn that there'd been nights with Neal where she'd woken up with a name on her lips that wasn't his.

"_My gift to you…" A hand grips hers and brown eyes stare sadly back at her._ _It didn't feel like she was receiving a gift – it felt like a sacrifice._

"MOM!" Emma's eyes snapped open. As a mother of an twelve-year-old boy, she was already used to having her sleep interrupted and she responded to his voice with an immediacy borne of experience. She remembered his cries from the day he was born, and how he'd quieted as soon as he'd been placed in her arms. Not a day went by where she didn't feel some small joy at the fact that she had changed her mind and kept him, despite all the trials she knew they would face due to the fact that she was an ex-con and a high school dropout. She made it work. She got her GED and pushed herself through police academy in Boston, eventually moving to NYC when she got promoted to deputy sheriff in the New York City Sheriff's Office. There were days when she couldn't believe that she'd landed the job: the pay was good and she'd managed to get a great apartment for her and her son to live in.

"Mom, somebody was at the door." Her eyes flicked to her bedside alarm clock.

"It's fricking 8:15 am on a Sunday, Henry. Who the hell was it?" He rolled his eyes at her – he'd always been a morning person. God knows where he got that from.

"I don't know. They just left this." He pointed over to a basket of dark red apples on the kitchen table and Emma's heart rate sped up for a second. She got a weird sense of déjà vu but couldn't put a finger on why. "There's a note," he continued, handing a small slip of folded white paper to her with her name written in cursive on one side. She opened it.

"_My gift to you…"_

And then Emma freaked the hell out. She dropped the note on the floor and placed a hand over her racing heart and uttered a single word: "_Regina_…"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Regina

"Mom? Who's Regina? Is it bad?" Emma blinked and frowned, as if she'd been somewhere else and couldn't remember where that had been.

"Regina? I don't know, Henry, why don't you…get ready for school or something."

"It's Sunday."

"Oh, right, yeah…" She grabbed a seat and sat down unsteadily. A fog still clouded her mind and trying to hold on to threads of reality felt like grabbing at smoke: elusive and not-quite tangible. She traced along solid lines of memory in her mind until she reached a point where things started getting confusing: images of a woman with dark hair and anguished eyes, purple and green light, apologies and promises of a happy ending…

"Mom, snap out of it!" Henry's voice got through to her, finally. She pushed aside all thoughts of the strange woman in her dreams and focused on him. He had his hands on both of her cheeks, grounding her to reality. It was Sunday and he had soccer practice, so she'd have to drop him off on the way to work. Sunday shifts were a drag, but she'd lost the bet this week and had to do it. She really ought to know better than to compete against Kate in archery – her strengths lay in shooting and, for some reason, fencing, and she couldn't shoot an arrow to save her life. She shook her head once more to make sure the weirdness had passed, before getting up and going back into her bedroom to get dressed.

"Okay, kid. Ten minutes and then we'll hit the road."

* * *

The day started off pretty normally: she got Henry to his practice at 9:00 and then dragged herself reluctantly into work for 9:30. It was going to be a long, slow day of shooting hoops at the office and filing paperwork against various child support-dodging douchebags and people who insist on parking their cars in a goddamn no-parking zone. At least on weekdays she was guaranteed company to gripe at, but only one deputy was needed in the office on weekends so she was left to stew in her own irritation for eight hours. If she was lucky, she'd be called out on a car chase or she'd get to sprint after some muggers and stretch out her legs. Emma was pretty sure that it wasn't very morally acceptable to wish that a serious crime would happen just so she could go outside.

It was baseball season, however, and the Yankees were playing the Sox so she had high hopes for some good bar fights. She was just considering whether it was worth going out on patrol when the phone rang.

"New York City Sheriff's office, Swan speaking." Emma could hear a strange scratching noise on the line, but couldn't make out any words until –

"_Emma?_" The line went dead and she had to sit for a second to process the freaky crap that had just gone down for the second time that day. Seriously, was she finally losing it? She'd seen a few kids go a bit crazy in some of her foster homes, not that she blamed them, they'd been through a lot – they all had. There was a reason why she'd gotten out of the system as soon as she could, even if it wasn't exactly legal. Perhaps those ghosts had finally come back to play games with her mind and now she was hallucinating. Yeah, that sounded more plausible than anything else she could come up with.

She just couldn't shake that voice: she could've sworn it was the same one she heard in her dreams and it had sounded so strange, like it was being transmitted through water or something was interfering with the signal…she shook herself off. Definitely time to go on patrol. She picked up her badge and gun from her desk and locked the office on the way out, trying to block all thoughts that weren't directly related to her job. She recited arrest procedures and warrant protocols in her mind just to distract herself, and soon found herself walking along Queens Boulevard towards the East River. She sometimes missed being a beat cop in Boston – being on the streets and fighting crime on the frontline was more her style, but working in the sheriff's office was more challenging in some ways, since she had a broader variety of work and she got to use her brain a bit more. It was also a lot safer, which was a comfort to her since she was raising her son alone. Paperwork still sucked though.

As usual, she had written about ten parking tickets before she even reached the river. People were idiots and she could've sworn she'd seen that Mercedes somewhere before. Maybe she'd had to tow it last time? Just as she was about to write up her eleventh parking infraction of the day, she felt a weird tug on her insides and found herself drawn to a shop just down the alley to her left. As she followed the call, she found herself captivated by a dream catcher hanging in the window of what she now saw was an odd occult shop. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she got that odd feeling someone was watching her, but saw nobody when she looked around. She stared at the dream catcher again and could have sworn she saw a flash of gold before she blinked and it disappeared. The whole thing felt really familiar, and she was honestly getting sick of that feeling.

That's when her cell phone rang.

"Mom? I just got home and there's a guy here. He says he's my dad." Her insides froze. It couldn't be…how did he even find them out here? Then again, she supposed the downside to working for the public was that she could probably be found on any half-decent search engine, but her address shouldn't be there. How in _hell_ had Neal found them?

* * *

She raced home, slamming the door open upon her arrival and searching frantically for her son. He wasn't supposed to come home alone – she'd made arrangements with one of the other parents from the soccer team to drop him off after practice. Henry had a tendency to wander off, though, so she wasn't entirely surprised and this wasn't the first time it had happened. It was just the first time it had gone wrong.

Henry looked up from the couch and waved. And opposite him was…yep, that was Neal: all of 5"9 and useless, dumping her ass without a word of explanation and leaving her to get arrested for _his_ crime. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased to see him.

"Emma, you need to come with me. Your family's in danger." She simply raised an eyebrow at that, since Neal knew perfectly well that the only family she had was sitting right across from him. And how had he known that Henry was his son, anyway? Not that it mattered, since he'd been involved in absolutely no part of Henry's life since birth and in her book that meant he wasn't really the kid's father. She quickly moved to stand in front of Henry and glared down at the intruder in her house. Neal simply sighed. "Okay, so you really don't remember anything. I was so hoping Regina was mistaken there." Emma froze once more, her mind once more assaulted with images at the mention of that name. Neal was looking away and scowling, so he didn't catch her shocked expression.

"Regina? Who's Regina?" Emma was proud of the fact that her voice was almost steady. Neal turned back to look at her and seemed mildly confused as to why she was more disturbed at the mention of the other woman's name than she was at his sudden appearance in her life.

"She's…look, it's a long story. Can we talk about this in the car?" His voice took on that plaintive tone that she hated so much and she simply glared back.

"You're going to have to give me more than that if you want me to go anywhere with you. I'd be taking Henry as well and I don't trust you right now, certainly not with him." For some odd reason, her ex smiled at that.

"At least that hasn't changed. Okay, Emma, I need you to think hard and ask yourself some questions that I bet you've been avoiding. First off: why did you name our son Henry?" The blonde woman bristled at the use of the word 'our', since the guy had literally turned up five minutes ago and therefore had no claim whatsoever over her son. She put that aside for now though, and focused on the question.

"He's named after…" There was a blank. There was a blank in her brain and she had no idea what was supposed to be there. Her face screwed up in frustration. "He's named after…I-I don't remember." And there was that dull, sickening feeling that something was wrong. Something was missing and she _could not remember_ what it was.

"Alright, how about this apartment? How much are you paying in rent?"

No answer.

"How much are you paid a year for your job?"

Nothing. She couldn't think. It didn't make sense.

"Emma, you _know_ this world. Do you think your average deputy sheriff could afford a place like this? Could afford to send Henry to that nice private school and take him to games every season? You weren't supposed to question it, _she_ made it that way. She just wanted you and Henry to have your happy ending."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Family

Neal paused in his quiet interrogation to allow Emma to process the implications associated with her inability to answer his questions, and in the subsequent silence Henry took the opportunity to speak.

"Mom? Is he telling the truth? Is he my dad?" Emma felt somewhat dazed and she just couldn't remember what she'd told her son about his other parent, so she just nodded and sat down next to the kid. "Cool! You always told me he was a 'useless good-for-nothing', but he doesn't seem so bad really." Emma frowned at these words, since that seemed like an oddly harsh thing to tell a young boy about his father and she was almost certain that she would not have put it that bluntly. Neal just put on a kicked-puppy expression and she thought she heard him growl '_Regina_' under his breath.

Putting this issue aside for now – although honestly she was going to run out of mental storage space for all of the things she was ignoring – she turned back to Neal.

"Say I believed you and there's really something off about all this, then who _is_ Regina? And why do I keep seeing her in my dreams?" Her ex looked at her for a long moment, flicking his gaze to Henry every so often, before he responded.

"What have you seen?"

"Not much: short, dark hair and sad eyes. Something about happy endings and giving me a gift?"

"And how long have you been dreaming about her?"

"…forever?" Emma wished she could give an answer that sounded less cliché, but she simply didn't remember a time when she hadn't dreamed of the strange woman.

"Right, well, I'm not entirely surprised. When she rewrote your memories she left a part of herself with you, and combined with your ability to escape the curse it must have resulted in you remembering her to some extent…"

"_What_? Did I trip and fall into fricking Neverland this morning? Curses aren't real! They only exist in fairytales and Harry Potter! _Why are you laughing_?" Neal had cracked up as soon as she mentioned Neverland, but it was kind of the hysterical laughter you produce when you can't believe something is happening.

"Ha, Emma, when you get your memories back you're going to find that whole speech _hilarious_." He wiped a tear from his eye and resumed a serious expression, opening his mouth to speak.

"Wait. The woman mom's been dreaming about is Regina? That's her name?" Henry interrupted.

"Yeah, buddy. Why?"

"I think I've been dreaming her too. You never told me." He looked accusingly at Emma for a moment before gazing out of the window with a distant expression. "I thought I was going crazy. I'd dream about her and in the dream _she_ was my mom and she was always telling me that she loved me and that she'd protect me from anything. It's only been these last few months though."

"That'll be the curse breaking down. Look, I don't need you to believe me. I just need you to trust me enough to take a trip – hell, you can drive. You can bring your gun as well, if you want to." Emma had to admit that it was a pretty fair deal: he was handing her all the control and she really did want some answers.

"Mom, seriously, he sounds like he's telling the truth." And that was a valid point, as well, since he hadn't been setting off her lying-asshole alarms in the last five minutes. The whole situation was still ridiculous, though. Curses? Happy endings? Was she Snow-fricking-White or something? "I think we should go. It feels like the right thing to do."

_Hell with it_, she thought.

"Alright. I'll entertain this wild goose-chase for _one day_, because my son will never forgive me otherwise and I will _not_ let you ruin what we've built here. I'm taking my gun and I'm going to ask my friend at the sheriff's office to keep an eye on the GPS on my phone – she'll call for backup if I stop texting her or end up somewhere suspicious. Damn it, I already left work mid-shift for this and I will murder you if you get me fired because you went delusional and made my son believe it was real." Neal accepted these terms in what almost looked like relief, as if he was somehow getting off lightly.

"Call your office. Trust me when I say that the words 'family emergency' will get you out of any consequences. And tell them you may be gone for a while." Well that wasn't creepy at all. Emma rolled her eyes and moved over to the window to make the calls, keeping an eye on Henry and Neal the whole time. The two just eyed each other in apprehension, with a little more curiosity on Henry's side and worry on Neal's.

"Yeah, Kate, I know how it sounds but I really think I have to do this. Besides, he told Henry who he is and you know the kid wouldn't let something like that go. If this gets us nowhere then he'll find out who Neal is for himself." She listened for a minute as the other woman quietly went through protocols for any kind of emergency – her friend had always been rather brilliant in tough situations. "Alright, yeah and I called the office. Yes, I'm taking my gun…" Once Kate was finally satisfied that Emma wasn't going into the wild essentially naked and covered in honey, she hung up and walked back over to the guys.

"Better leave before the evening traffic hits," she sighed. Tucking her cell phone into her jeans and adjusting her holster. "Let's hit the road, Jack." She received twin confused expressions and experienced a brief moment of resignation. These two really _were_ related. "What? I like '60s music."

* * *

Four hours later and Emma was cruising through Massachusetts with Henry in the passenger seat and Neal in the back, muttering directions every so often. It had been a while since she and the kid had taken a decent road trip, and she had to admit that it had gotten a whole lot easier as he'd grown up and stopped needing to take breaks every hour. Apparently they were heading to some coastal town in Maine that she'd never heard of. Neal had reluctantly informed her that it was called "Storybrooke" which was quite possibly the least subtle name he could have come up with for a fictional town, so he may actually not be lying about that at least.

"Henry, can you call Kate again for me?" Her son nodded and speed-dialled a number on her cell phone. The call was picked up almost immediately and the boy uttered a few assurances that things were still fine and that they were driving through Massachusetts (which Kate already knew since she had the GPS map up on her computer, but it was always nice to give confirmation). They hung up and Henry returned to drumming his fingers on the passenger side door, humming softly to himself.

"Can we have the radio on?" He'd asked this a few times over the past few hours, but Emma had refused on the basis that she wanted to be able to hear if Neal tried anything weird. He'd surprised her from the back seat when they met the first time, after all, and it was even the same car. She glanced back at the man in the rear-view mirror and bit her lip, considering. Was he really stupid enough to try something in a car that she was driving? With her son able to get the state cops on him in the time it takes to press two buttons? It had been long enough, she supposed, and the quiet was eerie.

"Sure, kid. Make it something good though, I don't want any of this teen pop crap in my car." The boy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and fiddled with the controls until he found a decent classic rock station. An eyebrow rose as if to ask if this choice was acceptable, and she just smiled. Then she grimaced as she remembered something unpleasant.

"BACK IN BLACK! I HIT THE SACK!" Right, yeah. Neal had an unfortunate tendency to sing along and it would have been okay had it not been so terribly off-key. A quick glance over to the passenger seat confirmed that Henry was equally horrified and blindly reaching for the dial to turn the damn thing off and hopefully quieten their suddenly joyous stowaway.

"Aw man, that was my _song_!" The guy sounded so put-out, but Henry seemed to feel that he'd been traumatised enough for one day.

"So Neal, how far have we got left to go?" Emma asked, hoping to distract her ex from continuing to sing despite the lack of back-up. He looked around quickly, nodding to himself before replying.

"'Bout three hours." It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The crisp April evening fell around them as they drove through the long stretches of forest in Maine. Emma couldn't decide whether she missed the gritty, thrumming energy of the city or not, since she was once again experiencing that strange feeling of rightness and homecoming. One she had only caught glimpses of before, in her dreams or when she heard that voice on the phone. It was at this moment that the radio decided to crackle to life and that same voice spoke again, almost causing her to crash the damn car.

"_Emma? Emma, we need you_."

She screeched to a halt at the side of the empty road. Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest and her hands shook as she lifted them off the steering wheel. Henry turned wide eyes to her and she wished she could tell him what the hell was going on.

"Hey, Emma, it's okay. Regina's been trying to reach you for weeks and I guess it's started to work." Neal softly placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her steady and she couldn't help but lean into his familiar touch. _Goddamn it_. She waited a few minutes for her heart rate to slow and the adrenaline to work its way through her system. If she was going insane at least she wasn't the only one who heard that stupid voice. "Let's go, Emma. We're nearly there."

She turned the key in the ignition and slowly started driving again, more careful now. She kept glancing in all her mirrors, now paranoid that something even more freakish was going to happen and it was during one of these checks that they crossed the town line. The car slowed once again to a stop as Emma remembered, staring at Henry as reality dawned on both of them.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Homecoming

"Judging by the sudden silence and the fact that the car isn't moving, I'm guessing you guys have remembered?" Neal spoke softly from behind them, using a voice that would normally be associated with calming wild animals. Emma and Henry nodded in response, still processing the new (old?) memories and aligning the two timelines in their heads. "Alright, I need you to listen for a sec. There's some things you guys need to know before we go any farther. First off, Storybrooke isn't the same as when you left, it's not entirely _present_, Regina says. When she brought us all through to this world, she created a weak point in the fabric of reality." Emma blinked at him. "Yeah, big words, I know. Regina talks a lot about it and she made sure I knew how to tell you. Anyway, the point is that when she tried to take us back, something went seriously wrong. She's pretty sure that someone else interfered and now a whole bunch of different realities are leaking into each other, and creatures from all over are turning up here. Your parents have been having a field day – something about how this is just like their honeymoon – and with my dad gone…" Neal paused for a second and closed his eyes, swallowing. "With my dad gone, there just aren't enough people who can use the kind of magic we need to fix this. We don't even really know what went wrong. The point is that not all of the town exists: Regina's mansion is still around, and so's your parents' place and Granny's, but half the houses and stuff are gone. It's a bit trippy, so she wanted me to warn you before you saw it. Now we really need to get going because this town is a wild place at night and the mansion is one of the few places with good enough wards for you guys to be safe." Emma pretty much floored it at that, jerking the two guys back into their seats. She really didn't fancy having to face a dragon again after driving for seven hours, especially since she only had her gun and her father's sword was probably already in use.

They reached the mansion in under twenty minutes and Neal got out with them. Emma got a strange tingly sensation when she crossed the usually-insignificant line between public sidewalk and private property. _Must be the wards_, she thought, and then briefly considered whether they'd hold better than the ones at Hogwarts.

"Henry!" Regina ran down the front steps with the kind of desperate joy that Emma had seen many times before, every time she brought their son home to his other mother. Once the boy had released his desperate hold on the brunette woman, she stood awkwardly and turned to the blonde. "Emma…" Her eyes ran over the other woman, checking for any signs of injury and flicked her eyes to Neal with a look of reluctant gratitude when she saw none. The dark-haired man just ducked his head and waited. "Alright, Neal, you know where your room is. And…thank you." He grinned and walked up to the front door, disappearing inside.

"He's living here?" Emma was surprised, to say the least, considering how clear Regina had made her opinions of the man when they'd been in Neverland. _Oh, I guess Neal was right about that speech being hilarious._

"Quite a few people are. It's jarring and unpleasant, but I suppose we are all making sacrifices." Regina looked appropriately irritated and Emma smiled softly at the familiarity of the situation of the brunette sassing everyone. Brown eyes darkened and turned once again to gaze at Emma with a quiet sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I wouldn't have brought you back if it weren't necessary – I know how happy you were in New York. And Henry too." She drew the boy to her side and he leaned contentedly against her. Emma was struck by how much he had grown.

"I…it's okay, Regina. I know you wouldn't have. I know what you did for me, and for us." Her heart ached with the extent of the sacrifice the other woman and made in order for her and Henry to live happily. She must have written everything she knew about him into Emma's memories when she'd created them: his first steps, first word, and first day at school. All the little things that Emma had missed had been neatly translated into a life where she'd always been with her son. She knew innately that if the dreams had not occurred and Regina had not reached out to her, she would have truly had the happy ending that she'd been promised, but somehow she couldn't quite bring herself to resent the other woman for taking it away again. She may have been happy in that other life, but now she was _home_.

"Come in. Both of you." Regina led them inside and ushered them into the kitchen. She walked over to the oven and bent over to remove a freshly-cooked lasagne. Emma swallowed and politely averted her eyes from the view. Henry moved automatically to set the table and Regina paused for a moment, hot lasagne in her adorable oven mitten-covered hands and tears gathering in her eyes. Nobody mentioned it.

Once they were all sat down, the awkward silence began. Henry happily shovelled his mother's food like he hadn't eaten in weeks, as almost-teenage boys were wont to do. Emma recalled that he would be turning thirteen soon, and felt an odd pang at the fact that he was growing up so quickly. She had all these memories of his life now, but they would never be enough.

"So, how was the journey?" Regina asked, ever the perfect hostess.

"Sufficiently creepy – how did you manage to talk through the radio?" To everyone's bemusement, Regina seemed to be rather embarrassed at that question. Wait, was she _blushing_?

"I, ah, well I've been trying to contact you and I'm afraid I'd been getting quite agitated at my lack of success. I actually sent those messages last week and they must be just arriving now. When we finally managed to send Neal over the town line without any repercussions, I thought I'd wait to see whether he was successful in bringing you back before trying again." She couldn't look directly at Emma and just gazed contemplatively at her plate and poked at her food. The blonde watched with interest as the mayor (was she even still mayor?) displayed decidedly uncharacteristic behaviours. In the meantime, Henry finished devouring his second portion of lasagne and arranged his cutlery on the empty plate with a pleased hum.

"I missed your cooking, mom. Emma never quite got lasagne right, even though she mysteriously knew all of my favourite meals and how to cook them." Regina looked away again, a small smile on her face as Henry grinned back at her. "Can I sleep in my old room?"

"Of course, Henry. It's exactly as you left it, so please remember to put your socks away and tomorrow you can explain how your Spider-man underpants ended up hanging off the lampshade." The boy went bright red and left quickly after that. His mothers just shared a look of understanding that only comes from raising a child. Emma was once again overwhelmed with the fact that Regina had shared that wealth of experience with her.

"So, the apples?" The blonde returned to her dinner and watched the other woman from the corner of her eye. The brunette opened her mouth a few times, but was saved from actually responding by the arrival of Neal. He was headed straight for the food, just about remembering to grab a plate before removing a huge chunk of the heavenly concoction and catching the tail-end of the women's conversation.

"_That's_ what that note was about?" Regina glared at him, but he just laughed and leaned against the sink, digging in with such delight that it was actually quite uncomfortable to watch. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, he continued. "She made me drop off a note and some money at a fruit stall on the way into town. I thought the guy looked a little confused, but I didn't know you were gonna make some grand romantic gesture." The brunette's glare intensified into a look that was probably capable of killing but the man just continued eating with enthusiasm, causing Regina to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"You're an animal," she growled in disapproval.

"You can blame your cooking. Oh, and the fact that I just went on a two-day trip for you."

"Because you're so upset about seeing Emma and Henry," she responded with a roll of her eyes. Emma looked on in amazement. To anyone else it would look like they were bickering _siblings_, and that was several worlds away from the tense truce the two had held when she'd left a year ago. She looked over at the clock and realised it was about the time she called Kate and settled in for the night.

"Regina? Do I have a room?" The other woman blinked at her slowly, looking down and folding her hands together.

"Only the best guest room in the house. She's been kicking out anyone who tried to set themselves up in there, because she's been oh-so-subtly saving it for you in case you ever came back." Regina returned to glaring at Neal, who was apparently being far too free with his information. "It's next to her room, just across the hall from Henry. You can't miss it – it's the only empty bedroom in the whole damn house." And those were questions she was going to have to ask tomorrow. Right now it was late and she could really do with some sleep, plus Kate would start freaking out soon and she didn't want her friend to send anyone here after her. Emma placed her plate by the sink, washed her hands and mouth and tried not to notice how Regina watched her as she walked away.

* * *

After calling Kate and informing her that she and the kid were fine, but that they'd probably be away for a while (and patiently dealing with the inevitable list of questions that this pronouncement caused), Emma quietly came back downstairs to grab a glass of water before bed. She also wanted to thank Regina for thinking to provide her with pyjamas in the right size, as well as a wash kit and towel. As she neared the kitchen, she paused to listen to the raised voices coming from within.

"...look, if I'd allowed them to think much of you, they would not have been happy. Don't you see? You abandoned her and she got arrested and she had your baby in _prison_. That was not something I could erase from her memory, nor was it exactly what I wanted my son to grow up with! I just tried to reduce its effect on her so she wouldn't be saddened by it."

"Did you have to erase me so completely? The kid didn't even know who I was!" Ah yes, she had wondered about this. After reconciling with Neal in reality, it did seem a little odd to leave her so indifferent to him in her reconstructed memories.

"And why should he? You weren't involved in his life in either timeline, so tell me, why _exactly_ do you think you have any rights where he's concerned?"

"Because I'm his…" There was a tense silence and Regina laughed, harsh and punctuated.

"Father? You throw that word about, but as far as I'm concerned you're just a glorified sperm donor. Emma may now understand what you did to her, and one day she may even forgive you, but rest assured that _I_ won't." It was time to interrupt, before this ended in a fully-fledged bitch fight.

"Regina!" she called, strolling in as if she hadn't heard the whole thing. "I just wanted to thank you for setting me up. I really didn't think we'd be away long enough for it to be worth packing supplies." The brunette calmed almost instantly upon hearing her voice, relaxing her posture and stepping away from the source of her ire.

"Of course, Emma. Do you have everything you need?" Neal shuffled out of the room as soon as Regina backed off, climbing up the stairs and muttering not-so-quietly about vindictive witches with jealousy issues. Regina clenched a fist and breathed out slowly, visibly restraining herself from throwing a fireball after him. Emma reached out unthinkingly, placing a warm hand on the brunette's exposed forearm and blinking at the resulting gold sparks. They both flinched in shock and Regina just sighed. "I suppose you'd like some answers about that, as well."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: True Love is Sacrifice

Emma took Regina's hand in hers, briefly considering how this was the reverse of the situation by the town line when she'd been leaving, since now it was she who was cradling the other woman's hand in both of hers and watching with fascination as gold lights danced where their skin met, looking almost like an electric current jumping between them and leaving strange warm tingles in its wake. It jogged a memory from earlier that day and Emma realised that she'd seen it before: when she'd been staring at that dream catcher in the window of the occult shop in New York. She glanced up at Regina with the intention of telling her that, but was caught by the deeply thoughtful expression in the older woman's eyes as she observed their joined hands. Slowly, Regina raised her gaze to meet the blonde's and everything stopped for a moment. Emma could feel her heart in her throat and couldn't quite believe that she'd never taken the time to appreciate how beautiful the woman in front of her truly was: the lines around her eyes spoke of the deep-seated weariness of living for too long and making too many mistakes; those eyes themselves were dark pits of remorse and loneliness, worry and fear, and a depth of experience which belied the age that she appeared to be physically. Time may have held itself still in Storybrooke for nearly three decades, but that did not mean that the mayor had escaped those years so easily. Emma coughed uncomfortably and looked away, breaking the moment.

"It was not something that I expected, nor was it intentional on my part, understand?" Emma nodded, still confused as to what the topic of conversation was exactly, but Regina seemed satisfied with that response. She sighed and began strolling towards her study, motioning for Emma to follow. The sound of the mayor's heels against the ground was softened by the thick cream carpet and the blonde recalled her first night in town after having returned Henry to his other mother – she remembered how this trip to the study had felt like walking on clouds. Everything in the former queen's home was designed to be elegant and practical, but Emma couldn't help but think that the other woman had made some adjustments upon her son's arrival as a baby, because the welcoming warmth of the colour scheme and soft flooring spoke of happy afternoons chasing a toddler across the room as his hands happily curled around the carpet fibres and his knees avoided any form of friction burns. He would have enthusiastically crawl over to his smiling mother and she'd have embraced him and whispered in his ear about how proud she was of him and how quickly he was growing into a big, brave boy. Emma knew this because she had those memories now, written into her brain by a woman who was about to lose everything she loved most and yet still spared a moment to give the blonde a happy ending, _her_ happy ending, with _her_ son and all the memories that made the boy who he was and convinced a broken woman to learn to love again. Such a sacrifice was not the work of a villain. "Drink?" Regina gestured over to her ever-present supply of apple cider and moved to pour herself one.

"Sure, I have a feeling I might need it." Emma grinned wryly and purposely sat in the same place as last time, just to cement the feelings of history repeating itself, even if there a few more plot twists this time round. "So, gold sparks? Are we mixing magic again?" Regina handed her a glass and she threw back the measure of sweet alcohol in a single shot, earning a look of mild bemusement from the other woman.

"In a sense, I suppose." Regina pursed her lips, considering. "Ms. Swan, I must ask that you listen carefully and that you don't interrupt. Agreed?" She appeared to be nervous and the blonde couldn't figure out why. It seemed at odds with everything she'd ever learned about the former queen: Regina was determined, forceful, sassy and smart. She would occasionally show signs of fear or vulnerability, but never, in all the time that Emma had known her, had she seemed unsure of herself.

"Of course, but please call me Emma. I'd like to think we've at least made it to first-name basis." She smiled at the other woman, only to be greeted with the image of Regina's hands clenched around her glass and the appearance of a woman expecting bad news.

"When I sent you and Henry away, I gave you my happy ending. I sent it with you and that affected my fate significantly. In that moment, my magic chose you as my true love and I honestly did not know that such a thing was possible. I was told a long time ago that I was destined to fall in love with someone else, a _man_, who lived in the Enchanted Forest and was not brought over by the curse. His name is Robin Hood." Emma practically choked on air at that.

"You're serious? As in Robin Hood and his Merry Men? That guy? Wasn't he supposed to be crazy in love with Maid Marion?" She received an unimpressed look and an eye roll for the interruption.

"Even with the existence of true love, people can fall for more than one person in their lifetime. Not everyone even has a fated love – they have choice. This is what I wanted to tell you, Emma, you may be my true love, but that doesn't mean that I have to be yours. You still have a choice about this and I will accept any decision you make on the matter." That statement gave Emma pause. Ever since she broke the curse, she'd felt like her life had been written out before she was even born: her parents sending her away when she was only minutes old; being given up once more when she was three years old; having to survive a seemingly endless series of foster homes that some social worker thought would be _appropriate_ for a girl with her 'troubles'; falling for Neal; being abandoned and sent to prison because August decided it was the right thing to do; having Henry and giving him up only to have him return to her and bring her _here _to break a curse because that had been her destiny all along: the culmination of events that were out of her control…

"You'd do that?" Those words again, always with that tone of disbelief and awe, because she still couldn't believe that someone would care enough about her happiness to place it above their own agenda, their own desires. "Could you even be with anyone else?"

"No. Not anymore." Regina's voice was resigned, having long since accepted that Emma would never want to be with her. Villains don't get happy endings, after all, so it was only appropriate that fate would punish her like this. "Besides, it's not our main concern at the moment. We must focus on the task at hand: rebuilding the walls between realities and protecting your family." She nodded with finality, as if the previous subject was done with and need never be spoken of again.

"You're my family too, Regina," the blonde stated quietly, reaching a hand out to the other woman but withdrawing it quickly when Regina flinched away. Emma took a breath and changed the subject. "Okay, so Neal said something about realities leaking into each other? What does that even mean and how do we stop it?"

"When I attempted to counteract Pan's curse, a few unexpected events occurred. Firstly, not all of Storybrooke was erased from existence, as you can see by the continued existence of my home. Secondly, only half of the town residents were sent over to the Enchanted Forest and they seem to be able to walk between the two worlds at will. Those who remained here are incapable of returning to our homeland. Finally, people and creatures from many different worlds are finding their way here and it shouldn't be possible. Travelling between lands is a very precise business, but these beings are arriving by _accident_."

"And they're dangerous?" Regina just snorted at the question.

"A dragon arrived yesterday and managed to set half of the high street on fire before your parents and I succeeded in killing it."

"You're working with my _parents_? You guys aren't all trying to kill each other?" To say that Emma was surprised would be a serious understatement. The feud between Snow and the woman before her seemed to be so old and strong that she'd begun to think that it would never be resolved without one of them dying. To have all three presenting a united front was damn near unbelievable, but Regina just smiled softly.

"We have an understanding. You can ask them about it when you see them tomorrow, but I believe it would be wise for us to retire now." She stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her simple black dress, before heading towards the door.

"Regina, wait." The brunette paused with her hand on the doorknob and held herself still. She heard the tell-tale sounds of Emma rising to her feet behind her and releasing a sigh. "I saw the same gold sparks when I was in New York, could you tell me what that means? They were on a dream catcher." The former queen rested her forehead on the solid wooden door and closed her eyes.

"Do dream catchers have some special significance to you?" Her heart raced without her permission and she cursed every god she knew for weakening her like this.

"They…they remind me of Tallahassee. That was supposed to be my happy ending." Regina's eyes snapped open and she tried not to make a sound, not to give anything away.

"It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it, Emma. Just get some sleep." She opened the door and tried to reach her bedroom as quickly as possible without alerting the blonde to the fact that she was distressed. _Tallahassee_, of course it would be that: the promise Neal and Emma had made about their future, their happy ending. Regina scowled at her reflection in the mirror on her vanity, trying to maintain her anger so that the hopelessness of the situation could not reach her. Neal was clearly Emma's true love and the thought made her _furious_. In her distracted state, she didn't notice the other woman follow her up the stairs, nor did she hear the tiny gasp that was produced when the first tears fell from her eyes.

* * *

"Emma! Wake up!" The kid was bouncing up and down on her bed like a caffeinated lunatic. All the blonde could do was groan and roll over, trying to pretend this wasn't happening. "Mom's made pancakes!" Wait, pancakes? She suddenly felt like jumping for joy herself. There were going to be pancakes and she didn't even have to make them!

"Alright, kid, geez, would you lay off? I'm up." She punctuated this statement by rolling out of bed and landing on the floor, then shooing the boy out of the room so she could get dressed. Opening the closet resulted in the discovery of her entire clothing supply from her time in Storybrooke, and she had to wonder why and when Regina had managed to get her hands on it. At what point did Snow decide it was okay to allow her former enemy to waltz into her apartment and take all of her daughter's clothes? Or did Snow even know they were missing? Questions for another day, she decided, since there were pancakes to be eaten right now.

She dressed quickly and managed to restrain herself from running downstairs. Her arrival at the breakfast table was met by a knowing look from Regina and a contented smile from their son, as he dug into his stack of pancakes with the kind of elation that only a child could experience. Well, a child or apparently Emma, since the same dreamy expression appeared on her face when she was presented with her own plate. Over the next few minutes, the rest of the house woke up and people began shuffling into the kitchen to either receive pancakes from Regina or arrange their own breakfasts. Judging by the calm look on the former queen's face, this was a regular occurrence that they all had down to a fine art. When everyone had arrived, Emma found herself eating breakfast at a table with Belle, Regina, Henry, Neal, Hook and Tinkerbell. There was also a bunch of Lost Boys who had distributed themselves across every available surface: some sat on the counter with their plates in their laps and smiles on their faces, others were sat cross-legged on the floor and seemed to be discussing some kind of secret plot, judging by the hushed whispers and not-so-secret glances at her and Henry.

The coffee pot was passed around between all the adults and each one managed to pour at least two or three mugs of glorious rocket fuel without emptying the container. Emma raised an eyebrow at Regina as she poured her fourth mug, but only received an innocent smile in return. The blonde decided that she definitely liked magic when it was used for good.

Once the adults had woken up sufficiently, Regina began to address them. "Hook, I want you to take patrol with Neal and Tink today and let me know if anything feels off. You know the drill." The three nodded and continued eating, having clearly heard similar instructions many times before. "Belle, I want you on research again. I know it's frustrating, but you're our best hope of figuring out why this is happening." Belle just tilted her head to one side as she appraised the other brunette, before nodding as well and getting up to leave. Her unfinished bowl of cereal disappeared quickly into the mouth of a Lost Boy. Once Neal, Hook and Tink had also taken their leave, Regina turned to Emma. "You're with me," she said softly. "There are a few more things that I need to tell you." She seemed quite regretful of this fact, but the blonde refused to allow this to bother her. The brunette had been right last night: they needed to focus on fixing the problem and protecting their family. "Henry? I need you to stay here with the Lost Boys. The garden is safe, but the wards only extend to the borders of the property, do you understand? I need you to stay within them so you won't be in danger." Henry looked reluctant to agree with this set of restrictions, but he nodded anyway.

"Okay, mom. But what can we do to pass the time?" He turned wide, begging eyes to her and she just shook her head as if he was all too predictable.

"Yes, you can play on the X Box. You'll find that there are quite a few more controllers for it now, so be fair about letting everyone have a turn, alright?" She glared around at all the now-sheepish looking Lost Boys before nodding at her son and moving towards the front door of the mansion, indicating that Emma should follow.

They walked down the front path in silence, but paused before crossing the wards. Regina held up her hand and closed her eyes, a translucent layer of purple spreading out from her fingertips and spreading to form a dome around the mansion. Emma would have thought it was amazing, had she not been able to see what it was doing to the brunette. The colour was draining out of her face as if it was taking physical effort to do this, whatever it was.

"There." Regina nodded in satisfaction and was about to walk through the front gate when the blonde grabbed her arm to stop her. Gold sparks shot between them and Regina gritted her teeth, trying to ignore what that meant. She turned back to Emma and glared, making it clear that she was impatient to begin her day's tasks.

"Did you just recast the protection wards?" she questioned curiously. She still had not let go of Regina and it was starting to irritate the other woman. The brunette tugged her arm out of the blonde's grip and stepped away before answering.

"Yes, I have to do it every day or they will weaken and become useless."

"And it takes a lot out of you?"

"Clearly."

"Can I help?" Regina looked up in shock; Emma was offering to do magic just to make things easier for _her_? No, it couldn't be. It must just be that she doubted the former queen's ability to protect their son.

"Fine. Hold out your hands, palms facing outward." Emma did so and Regina raised hers so that they were opposite each other but not quite touching. She closed her eyes then and _pulled_. The blonde gasped as a stream of pale blue light shot out of her fingertips and was seemingly absorbed by the other woman. The brunette blinked in surprise. "That…that's not usually so easy. Your magic is a part of you, why are you letting me take it without any resistance?"

"I trust you," Emma replied honestly. She strode across the protection barrier and left a confused Regina in her wake.


	6. Chapter 5

**NOTES: I forgot to say that the link between Tallahassee, the dream catcher and Emma's happy ending was suggested by spookyfbi on Tumblr, and Tink having this idea about how Emma becomes Regina's true love was suggested by n0flowersn0thorns on Tumblr as well.**

Chapter Five: Taking Flight

The awkward silence was disrupted by the harsh sound of a phone ringing. Regina dug her hand in her back pants pocket and tugged out her cell, while Emma blushed once more and wished certain parts of the other woman's body were less distracting.

"Snow, slow down and tell me what they look like." Regina sounded almost kind, and her demeanour lacked the hostile tension that Emma was accustomed to seeing whenever the blonde's mother was mentioned. She didn't think that the two old enemies would be cuddling any time soon, but it was certainly a far cry from the wars they had once fought and the attempts they had made on each other's life. "Like Medusa? Wonderful, dear, vengeful Gorgons were just what I needed this morning. We'll be there shortly." Emma just about made out a short burst of sound on the other end of the line, clearly an exclamation of shock or surprise. Regina just huffed in annoyance. "Yes, Emma's here. Neal found her." And there was that note of distaste that always seeped out when the brunette was forced to talk about the father of her son. "Yes, Snow. She's fine…no, I haven't told her that yet. Perhaps we can deal with this after I've saved your life?" There was a short reply and the former queen hung up, sliding her phone back into place and changing direction.

"Where's Mary Margaret?" Emma asked, quickening her pace in order to catch up with the determined woman.

"The Rabbit Hole. Apparently several male patrons have been turned into stone. This is why I avoid such lowly establishments." Although her voice conveyed arrogance, Emma got the feeling that it was mostly for show. People deal with fear in strange ways – the blonde usually just got angry, for example, and that never ended well for anyone.

"And by Gorgons you mean…?" She'd heard of Medusa, of course, but there was more than one? And, judging by the lack of surprise displayed by the other woman upon hearing that these mythological creatures had set up shop in her town, this was a regular occurrence. When Emma had been told that creatures were streaming in from multiple realities, her mind had immediately jumped to dragons because that was a familiar battle, even though it had been rather terrifying. However, Greek monsters turning up was certainly a new event, even in Storybrooke.

"I mean the two immortal sisters of Medusa, yes. In addition to their usual bloodlust, they're rather displeased with Snow for killing their sister, so the day is guaranteed to be eventful." There was a gleeful light in Regina's eyes, a smile dancing around her mouth, and her rapid pace could be mistaken for enthusiasm. Emma watched in amusement as the ex-mayor attempted speed walking in four-inch heels with an unconquerable grace which informed everyone that even without a crown, she was royalty. The blonde easily kept up in her work boots, but couldn't help wondering at how much the other woman had changed since they'd said their goodbyes: Regina seemed both more vulnerable and more confident, as she opened up to Emma about such painful subjects only to turn around and issue orders that were carried out without question by people who had once called her evil and selfish. She was a study in contradictions, always had been, but Emma felt that the understanding she'd once had of the other woman was now outdated.

As they made their way through town, the blonde paid attention to how her surroundings had changed since she'd last been here. It was bizarre, really, to see the buildings melt seamlessly into overgrown areas of forest, alternating at random and making Emma dizzy – like she was seeing two images at once, one on top of the other and merging to create this strange halfway point between two forms of existence. It made her eyes itch and she felt slightly nauseous because it was all _wrong_. Lost in thought as she was, she didn't notice the blue sparks once again crackling around her hands, responding to the unbalanced energies around her as well as her own distress. Regina noticed, however.

"Emma, wait. You can't go into this fight when you're like this. I know how you feel, dear, I do, I feel it too and if I allowed it to roam freely, my magic would likely make the situation worse while trying to fix the damage in realities. You need to focus on something that is undeniably real, can you do that?" She restrained herself from reaching out towards the blonde, unwilling to trigger the gold energy and remind Emma just how deeply complicated the situation truly was. The blonde's eyes met hers and their gazes locked, silence fell around them until all either woman could hear was the sound of their breathing, soft and perfectly synchronised. If Regina leaned just a little further forward, she thought she would hear the blonde's heart beat in her chest and that it would pound in time with her own. Moments passed by unnoticed as Emma regained control over her magic and calmed her mind. Once the flickers of energy disappeared completely, she coughed awkwardly and looked away, once again walking in the direction of the tavern. The brunette shook herself off and hurried to catch up.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were crouched behind a bar with their eyes closed, desperately trying to come up with a plan. Hook, Neal and Tinkerbell were distracting the ugly-ass snake women with pixie dust and a rather creative set of sexual innuendos (from the captain, of course). David and Snow were pressing uncomfortably into them in the cramped space and muttering about how that plan had definitely worked before.

"I still can't believe you killed Medusa," Emma muttered under her breath. She'd been unimpressed by her parents so-called heroic (read: impulsive and unwise) effort to turn the Gorgons' own powers against them, which mainly involved waving reflective objects around and running for cover. "Regina, is there something we can do? Some spell you can think of?"

The other woman released a slow sigh and slumped even further against the wall. "I know of one, and since the others won't be able to keep those _things_ occupied for much longer, I would appreciate it if you'd just follow my lead and not ask questions." Emma opened her eyes to assess the other woman, finding only earnest eyes looking back at her. She nodded, trusting Regina once again with her life, just as she did with her magic. The brunette looked relieved and held out her hand, which Emma raised an eyebrow at before taking it with her own. "Alright, I need you to focus on sending me your magic like you did earlier. Thankfully you already know this works, so just trust me, close your eyes and stand up when you feel me doing so." The blonde nodded once more, following Regina's instructions and reaching inside herself for that strange, crackly energy that was comforting and unfamiliar all at once. She frowned when she found it, registering a tug towards the other woman that seemed to originate solely from her magic – it felt just like it had with the dream catcher in New York. Ignoring these confusing thoughts, she pushed everything she had towards the hand holding hers and heard a quiet gasp as the energy was received.

Regina stood then, pulling Emma with her and presenting a united front to the chaos that had once been an entirely _dis_reputable tavern. The brunette squinted her eyes open, checking the location of the Gorgon invaders and finding them on the far side of the room, taking their time in pulling apart the makeshift barricade the other three had hidden behind. She could've sworn she heard Neal singing a truly terrible rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing" and…right, yes, those would be red and black socks imitating the role of the revolutionary flag. If the circumstances weren't so dire, she would yell at him for choosing such an unsuccessful attempt at uprising. As it was, she simply opened her eyes fully, raised her free hand and focused on channelling all the energy flowing through her into a single, deathly stream of light. Her surprise when the torrent of _gold_ light flowed out of her was quickly quashed as she devoted all her attention to protecting Emma and destroying her enemy. Since neither sister could be killed, she settled for transfiguring them into something harmless – perhaps some frogs for the garden pond.

The creatures noticed her as soon the light hit them, their hissing manes spitting in disgust and their bodies slithering across the floor at an intimidating pace, throwing tables and chairs and rubble at her as they moved closer, only to have the impromptu missiles turn into feathers upon crossing the pulsing golden current. Regina focused on their lower bodies, avoiding their eyes, but felt the cold fingers of fear trail down her back as she realised that the snake women weren't slowing down, in fact they seemed to be completely unaffected. She wanted to look up, but couldn't risk turning to stone and leaving the others undefended.

"Doesn't sound like it's working, Regina," Emma whispered, eyes still closed but eyeballs making panicked motions beneath the lids. The monsters were only feet away from them now and she could smell that stench of rotting plants and putrid flesh, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

"It's not. I knew it was a long shot against creatures with such high immunity to magic, but I had hoped…" She could hear Snow and David yelling at her to get down and let them take over, but it sounded as if they were so very far away, and really, wasn't this what the Evil Queen deserved? To be torn apart by Gorgons or turned into stone, doomed to spend eternity trapped in a single moment of absolute horror? "I'm so sorry, Emma. You can let go of my hand now. Please, get out of here while I can still cover you." Regina tried to shake the blonde off, but the grip just slid up her arm and held on to her shoulder like a lifeline. Emma shuffled quickly into position behind Regina, wrapping her arms around the former queen's waist and pressing her face into her neck. The intensity of the magic flowing between them suddenly began to increase exponentially until the brunette was shaking with it, high off it, and forcing it straight into the faces of the creatures which now stood inches from her, their foul breath overwhelming what senses she had left and their talons just a hair's breadth away from her heart. They were completely frozen, and although Regina could only look at the hands over her chest, she imagined that they looked quite shocked at this particular turn of events.

Finally, the creatures' forms collapsed in on themselves, kicking up the typical amount of dust often associated with such sorcery. As that settled, covering the sticky floor with a layer of glittering gold, Regina and Emma were left blinking at two milk white doves.

"Were you _trying_ to turn them into birds?" the blonde asked, nudging the other woman gently with an elbow as she moved around her to climb over the bar and investigate the once-fearsome beings. The birds startled at her sudden movement and immediately took flight, flapping their way uncertainly towards the exit, occasionally bumping into things and not quite able to elevate any higher than a few feet off the ground. The former Evil Queen and the heroic Saviour caught each other's gaze and completely lost it, helplessly cackling at the ridiculous image of the murderous Greek legends being reduced to lovebirds who couldn't even figure out how to fly properly. Snow and David rose slowly, casting fearful expressions at the hysterical women.

"Emma? Did you guys defeat them?" David's question just set off another round of giggles and the prince looked on in amazement as a delighted flush rose in Regina's cheeks and a light danced in her eyes, which were fixed solely on Emma, who was bent over now and placing a hand on her stomach as if that would keep the laughter in. The other half of the group climbed over their barricade as they heard the commotion, experiencing more or less the same reaction. Eventually, the two victors quietened, only letting out a breathless chuckle every thirty seconds or so.

"Yeah, Regina turned them into fricking _doves_! And the way they flapped on out of here gave a whole new meaning to the term 'winging it'." Emma grinned at her parents happily, leaning against the bar and when Regina decided to clamber over to join her on the other side, the blonde mindlessly offered the former queen her hand as support. The brunette's eyes widened momentarily, but she decided it would be advisable to take the help. She was proven correct when she landed badly in her heels and toppled over, falling into Emma's arms like the heroine in some kind of chick flick romance novel. She removed herself quickly, smoothing imaginary wrinkles in her outfit and smiling tightly in thanks. She started heading for the door, intent to get home and process everything that had just happened, but paused as a thought hit her.

"Emma, when you moved…why did you do that?" The blonde just turned away, blushing, her hand lifting to tangle itself in the thick curls at the back of her head and her elbow pointed straight up: the picture of adorable awkwardness. Regina needed to stop thinking these things. She absently noted the rest of the group gathering at the exit, waiting for them and casually trying to pretend they weren't all eavesdropping.

"My magic wanted to be wrapped around you and we were running out of time, so I figured 'what the hell'." The brunette resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the other woman's complete lack of eloquence, but wondered at the implications of what she was saying. She'd never heard of magic causing such a reaction before and she was still pondering this development when Emma cleared her throat. "We should probably go. It's been hours and we left Henry with a bunch of rebellious teenage boys. He'll be picking up all kinds of ideas." Regina nodded in agreement and they headed over to the others, meandering through the front door together only to be greeted by an enormous white horse with _wings_.

"You have got to be kidding me. That's fricking _Pegasus_, isn't it." It wasn't a question. Hook approached the nervous animal slowly, reaching out his one good hand and waiting for permission to touch the horse's thick mane.

"Yes, love. My ship used to fly with the aid of a pegasus' feathers, so I have seen a few in my lifetime, but judging by the size I would say that this beautiful creature is the original legend." Pegasus was nosing at the sea captain with interest, sniffing at his pockets and losing some of the tension he had gained upon arriving unexpectedly in a new world. "And the fact that he's practically sparkling is rather telling." Hook continued, snorting in amusement.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with a flying horse?" Neal wondered aloud, viewing the uninvited guest with suspicion, which was reasonable considering that every other creature that had landed in this town since the curse failed had tried to kill them.

"I heard stories about Pegasus when I lived with the fairies. It's said that he can travel between worlds at will and if that's true…" Tinkerbell trailed off.

"…we could get to the Enchanted Forest. We could cross realities without causing more damage." Regina viewed the horse with renewed interest. "Since the stables no longer exist, we'll keep him safe at the mansion. I'll build a stall in the garden." Everyone just shrugged in agreement, since they didn't have any better ideas. Hook looked secretly pleased at being allowed to keep his new companion, who was now investigating the captain's back and hair like some kind of overly friendly puppy.

"Emma? We'd really like to talk to you, would you mind coming over to the apartment for lunch?" Snow placed an uncertain hand on her daughter's shoulder and briefly allowed herself to feel the pain of missing yet another year of her beautiful baby's life. The blonde glanced over at Regina, who just raised an eyebrow and waved her off, moving closer to Pegasus in the same manner that Hook had earlier. Emma kept watching as the other woman gently stroked the horse's thick white mane, a soft smile touching her lips as her entire posture softened. Shifting her gaze back to her mother, she gave an easy reply of agreement and enjoyed the delighted expressions on her parents' faces. She would never get used to the honest joy they derived from spending time with her.

"Let's go then, it's not a long walk. You can tell us about how you and Regina managed to turn ancient mythical creatures into birds." David grinned at his daughter, pulling her towards him and kissing the top of her head, as had become his custom. Emma felt that quiet joy once more: the feeling of home.

* * *

You could always tell when Snow was happy, because she started humming. Currently, she was mindlessly following the tune of some One Direction song and Emma was resisting the urge to groan, because this was the exact kind of teen pop crap she didn't want anywhere near her. People assumed that it was because she hated it, but actually she just found it too catchy and ended up suffering the humiliation of singing it in public and that was _not_ something she wanted as part of her image. Snow didn't care about any of that, though, she skipped around the kitchen like a happy child while David just stared at her adoringly. The level of sweetness the blonde was being exposed to right now would probably give her diabetes.

"You two will be fine with chicken salad, right?" Snow turned to look at her family, a suspiciously innocent expression on her face. Her warriors were absolutely horrified at the idea that they should be content with such an insufficient form of sustenance after such a fierce battle. Their expressions were so priceless that Snow wished she had a camera at hand so she could capture the moment and send the pictures to Regina, since she was the only other person who could appreciate the entertainment value. Her mask cracked then and she grinned, big and unapologetic. "Oh, you wouldn't be? Good thing I made burgers and fries, then." She'd turned away to put the necessary components in the oven and when she faced them again, she was greeted by the faces of her husband and child, clearly communicating how little they thought of her teasing. Her amusement faded into genuine happiness as she thanked every star for bringing her family home safely. Living without Henry and Emma for a year had been more painful than she thought possible, since she'd only just realised that she'd been missing her daughter for twenty-eight years and that Henry was her grandson. Knowing that they couldn't even remember her made it even worse, but she had thanked Regina every day for six months after her act of selflessness. At first, the older woman had brushed her off with irritation and clearly resented her for bringing up such a fresh and painful event: saying goodbye to her son, the person she loved most in the world. After a few months, Regina stopped responding negatively, but instead she would become very still and stare at Snow for a good few minutes with a look in her eyes that reminded the younger woman of a wounded animal. It wasn't until a few months ago that Snow discovered what had made the other woman's anguish deepen further. She sighed, wishing she didn't have to bring down the atmosphere but knowing that it was necessary for her daughter to know what had happened in Storybrooke while she'd been away. She took a deep breath and began: "Regina wanted me to tell you some things…"

_Flashback:_

_It was early January and the winter held the town in its icy fingers, dropping snow by the foot and sending gales that attempted to tear down the few buildings that remained in town. Snow and David had been cuddling on the sofa, trying to keep warm and to not worry about Emma and Henry and whether they were warm and safe, wherever they were. Days like those, which passed without comment or any sign of productivity, were the worst days for the pair because they couldn't distract themselves with any kind of work: the makeshift "school" was closed and the town residents were all snowed in. That was why the desperate pounding on the door was so surprising._

_The Charmings responded immediately, grateful for the interruption to their miserable brooding. Opening the door revealed a tearful Regina with pink cheeks and dragon breath, practically shaking from the cold. Her fist was raised to bang on the door one more time and it seemed to take her a second to realise that her way was no longer obstructed. Once she did, she opened her fist and Snow caught an image of worryingly purple fingers before the other woman stuck both hands in her armpits and started shaking so hard that her teeth chattered._

"_Oh, Regina! Come in, let's get you warm." The Evil Queen's most despised enemy ushered that same woman into her home, insisting that she take her heels off and lie on the couch while the younger brunette covered her with every blanket in the house. It took hours for Regina to stop shivering and David sat on the floor next to the couch the whole time, waking the near-hypothermic woman every time she started to fall asleep. He'd thought she was going to kill him after the twentieth time, when she fixed him with such a venomous glare that a lesser man would have wet himself. David just shrugged and reminded her that if she slept, she could die, so she would just have to deal with him prodding her every time she got too sleepy. An odd expression would cross her face every time he mentioned the possibility of her dying and at the time, he couldn't figure out what it meant but he knew that it unsettled him at the very pit of his stomach. Snow bustled around the apartment making tea and warm soup and serving it to Regina with the patience that only true mothers possessed. The former queen made her views quite clear on the fact that she hated being treated like an invalid, but didn't resist the attention, possibly because some part of her realised that it was needed and she couldn't allow her pride to get in the way of that. When she wasn't directly taking care of Regina, Snow would fiddle with the heating or she'd start cleaning the apartment, despite the fact that they had done so that morning and all the surfaces were spotless. David understood her anxiety, however, and allowed her to continue using her coping mechanisms without comment. Occasionally she would just stop in the middle of the living room, staring at the former queen and wringing her hands together nervously._

_When Regina finally decided she was ready to talk, she was met with a waiting audience. She told Snow and David about TInkerbell's theory on how Emma had become her true love and she talked about trying to start a relationship with Robin Hood, only to find that she was incapable of feeling anything more than a vague fondness for him. Once she'd started, it was impossible to stop the flow of speech, so she confessed to waking up in the middle of the night having dreamt of Emma, of being with her in all the ways that her heart cried out for. She talked about her memories of Henry and how she'd given them all to Emma, but she still called him down for breakfast some mornings, when she wasn't quite awake enough to remember how much she'd lost. Finally, she spoke of her long walk in the snow and how she'd known what was happening to her: that her body was slowly shutting down due to the freezing temperatures, but she didn't care because she'd lost every chance at happiness._

"_I thought it would be appropriate, Snow," she said, laughing like she'd lost her mind. "I thought it would be _hilariously_ appropriate to die surrounded by your namesake. You were the one I hurt the most, after all, if you ignore the miserable life I gave your daughter." Regina's smile was bitter and twisted and it sickened Snow to see it._

"_No," she replied, simply. The other woman's head jerked in surprise at the sudden, but firm denial of everything she'd just said. "No, you don't get to give up, Regina. You are going to earn your damn redemption and you are going to find Emma and Henry and you're going to bring them HOME." Snow's determined expression was hard and unyielding, her eyes boring into those of the lost woman before her and simply refusing to let go of her gaze._

"_But the curse…" Regina mumbled._

"_Clearly didn't work, did it? I bet there's enough leeway left to get our family back. Don't forget, Regina, that in this family we _always_ find each other." And for once the older woman didn't grimace in disgust at the sentiment. Instead, a small flicker of hope lit her eyes and she remembered how it felt to have a purpose, a reason to keep going. She would get her true love and their son back or she would die knowing that she had tried absolutely everything._

"_Thank you, Snow." The two women who had once torn apart kingdoms for the sake of their rivalry now sat together on a couch in a warm apartment, smiling cautiously at each other and wondering whether second chances could really work._

_Over the next few weeks, Regina's attempts to reach her estranged loved ones were consistent and careful, as she avoided causing any more damage to the town's fragile existence. However, everything changed in mid-February when a minotaur suddenly appeared in the middle of Granny's diner, managing to kill two people and injure four more before David, Snow and Regina managed to kill it. They had been sharing lunch together, as had become their custom on weekends, when the former queen felt a sensation not unlike being stabbed in the stomach – a feeling which became familiar to her as it was always followed by the appearance of a new monster in town._

_Over time, the creatures began to arrive more and more frequently, and Regina was forced to organise patrol groups, design protocols for how to act upon spotting new invaders and set up research groups to investigate the causes of the anomalies. She also set up the wards around Granny's diner, Snow's apartment and her own mansion, but she surprised everyone by arranging for every remaining resident to stay in one of those safe places. The fairies set up their own wards for the nunnery, but claimed that they didn't have enough magic to protect anything else adequately. Regina seriously doubted that, but didn't feel that she had the political or social support necessary to win an argument with the fairies. Belle, Hook, Neal, Tinkerbell and all of the Lost Boys moved in with her and the house practically vibrated with life and energy. She worked hard to tolerate Hook and Neal, and to forgive the Lost Boys for their part in Pan's abduction of her son. She and Belle often researched together and they quickly became good friends, bonding over their love of knowledge and their lost loves. Sometimes they would just look at each other and share a whole conversation, and each knew that the other was willing to comfort them whenever it was needed. _

_Slowly, the heaviness in Regina's heart began to lessen, as she immersed herself in her new life and began to accept all of the members of her new family. And that was what they all became, because it was impossible to live in such close quarters and fight battles together without forming bonds of loyalty and trust. Neal became an annoying little brother; Hook became an overly inappropriate one, always quick to make a dirty joke or put on a salacious grin, no matter the situation; Belle became a sister and a best friend, who she took care of and shared everything with, including her secret stash of dark magic books that Belle simply raised an eyebrow at when she'd seen them; and Tinkerbell became a valued advisor and friend, always happy to help Regina and Belle with research. The Lost Boys became her adopted children, and she apologised often for not being able to give them their own rooms: they slept in the basement, where she'd set up beds for each of them and allowed them free reign with the decoration. They told her she was being an idiot and that they didn't want to be split up anyway, they also bashfully thanked her for taking them all in and looking after them. She'd nearly wept at that. She reminded them of what Emma had promised in Neverland: a family, parents and a real home; and then they'd all cried and hugged, before firmly deciding that none of that mushy stuff had ever happened._

_Regina spent all the time she could spare, between hunting down monsters and taking care of her family, researching with Belle and sometimes Tink. They split their time evenly between researching the situation in town and their own project of interest: Belle's was how to get Rumple back and Regina's was, of course, bringing her lost family members home. Nobody knew what Tink's project was, but it seemed to involve disappearing into her room with Hook for hours at a time. The former queen wasn't surprised or bothered, as long as they were both happy. Weeks passed and the end of March approached, with her efforts to reach Emma becoming more and more desperate and reckless. She needed her true love for more than the obvious reasons, now: Emma was the only other person currently alive who could access the kind of magic she believed they'd need to stop the creatures coming._

_She and Belle were on the verge of smashing their heads on the table when the younger woman finally found something useful. "Regina! I think I know what's happening to the town!" The pretty brunette rushed over to Regina's side of the table, laying out a book in front of her and pointing at a passage that was written in the old language of magic. She read slowly, taking each word in and feeling a cold chill settle in her bones. _

"_This is worse than we thought. Realities are colliding and if we don't stop it, everything will collapse." Belle's eyes widened at this, her excitement dimming as the truth of her discovery set in._

"_What can we do?" she whispered._

"_We need to stop whoever's tearing through the fabric between worlds. And to do that, we need to figure out who it is and it could be _anyone _from _any _world. I'm afraid I don't even know where to start." Regina looked back at the book and knew desperation. "I need Emma. I need her here _now_." The former queen closed her eyes and reached deep down inside, grasping at the true love magic that she'd once thought of as a terrible curse, but now understood to be the only thing that could save her. Using the magic like this was physically painful, but she could almost feel Emma, just out of reach. She pushed everything she felt about the other woman out into the universe, hoping it would find its way to its intended recipient. For one precious second, she could touch Emma's face with her fingertips. She saw how happy the other woman was without her and held back a sob, but she was spared any details because at that point, the pain was so intense that it caused her to pass out._

_She woke up hours later with her head cradled in Belle's lap. The younger woman's eyes were sad and deeply empathetic, understanding what Regina risked by attempting such dangerous magic and why she had felt the need. With a solemn expression, she reached over the former queen and brought out the book they had both been silently avoiding: it was the Dark One's book and contained the most powerful and dangerous spells known to any world. She opened it at a specific page, encouraging Regina to sit up so she could read the entry. It was blood magic, and it had a heavy price, just like any spell worth casting. _


	7. Chapter 6

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of past abuse.

Note: Yes, there was a pretty blatant Les Mis reference in the last chapter!

Chapter Six: A Whiteness of Swans

Snow paused in her storytelling when the oven timer went off, signalling that lunch was done and that she'd better move quickly before it all started to burn. She served the burgers and fries up quickly and placed them in front of her lunchtime companions. Emma's expression was distant and she barely noticed the food appear, still processing everything she'd heard so far. David and Snow watched her curiously, exchanging glances as they wondered at their daughter's thoughts. After a few moments, David shrugged and dug into his meal and Emma's eyes focused on her mother.

"Why isn't Regina telling me all of this? It's _her_ story and you couldn't have known most of that unless she'd told you." The blonde's stare was piercing and intense, clearly ready to detect a lie or some edited version of the truth. Snow's head tilted as she observed her daughter, slightly saddened by the fact that the woman had clearly grown up in an environment where falsehoods were told so often that she just expected to hear them.

"She didn't say, exactly, but I believe she was afraid of how you'd react. It's difficult for her to talk about the lengths she went to in order to get you back, since you're her true love but she's not yours."

"How do you know she's not mine?" Emma asked, curiously; her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she raised the question that had been dancing around in her mind ever since the conversation last night, possibly even before. How could something as supposedly perfect and pure as true love ever be one-sided? Surely fate wouldn't be that cruel, even to the Evil Queen. Snow just looked shocked.

"But you're…and I thought…Neal?" Emma finished her mother's sentences in her head with the words "straight" and "you only liked guys". She could see where the confusion might come from, since she'd never mentioned being with any women and they'd only met one of her ex-_boy_friends.

"I don't really like applying labels to myself, but I get why you'd assume the way you did. I meant what I said in Neverland, though, I may always love Neal but I am not interested in being with him again. I'm pretty sure that true love wouldn't feel like that, right?" She looked from one parent to the other as they absorbed her words. They both looked a little surprised at her confession, but neither seemed to be about to kick her out or start yelling about how it was 'unnatural' or that she should 'pick a goddamn side'. She breathed a silent sigh of relief, because although she wasn't ashamed of who she was, she'd been through enough crap for it that she wasn't sure she could deal with her real parents hating her as well. She shivered as she recalled being caught for the first time with another girl when she was fifteen: she'd thought her foster father was going to murder her on the spot. As it was, he'd just beaten her until she'd wept, forcing her to swear that she'd never do it again. The other girl had just run and Emma hadn't seen her since, so she could only assume that the feelings she'd had were not returned in the slightest. The blonde refused to be bitter about that.

Her father seemed to sense her worsening mood, as he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's okay, Emma, we love you anyway." He smiled comfortingly and brought her close, pressing his lips to her forehead before pulling her into a hug. Snow smiled fondly at them, reaching across the table to take Emma's hand and nodding in agreement.

"We'd love you even if you had four eyes and no nose. That's what families do." Emma just grinned at the image, before clearing her throat and pulling away from her father. If she allowed herself to think too hard about her parents' words, she'd end up crying and she really didn't have the time for that today.

"Did she cast the spell from the Dark One's book?" she enquired, eager to return to the story and end this incredibly awkward conversation. Snow gave her a knowing look, but allowed it.

"No…"

_Regina stared at the spell, reading the familiar language and tasting the intricacies of the demands and phrasing as she mouthed the words. A sickness filled her as she considered what she'd have to do in order to find her true love this way and so, with a heavy heart, she closed the book and blocked out the malicious intentions of the dark magic that clawed at her resolve as she held it. It was true that the pages themselves contained magic, and the sheer volume of power contained in those words meant that the energy had gathered to a point where it was almost sentient._

"_No, I can't do that," she stated firmly, shaking her head to quiet the quarrelsome voice that threatened to overwhelm the arguments of the person she had become. "Emma and Henry would never forgive me – I don't think I could forgive my_self_." Decision made, she walked over to the cabinet and locked the terrible book up once more. She heard a sigh of relief behind her and turned, catching the happy smile on Belle's face before it faded into a more serious expression. "You…you were testing me?" Her voice shook slightly as the perceived betrayal sunk in. She backed away from her friend and wondered why she'd been so trusting in the first place. They all expected her to turn evil, after all, how could she have believed that anything had changed?_

"_No! Not like that. I just had to know, once and for all, that I was right about you." She reached a hand out to grasp Regina's forearm, but the former queen flinched away and backed off even further. Belle sighed and folded her arms over her chest, closing her eyes in remembrance. "Rumpel swore so many times that he'd changed, and each time I'd find him breaking that promise or just lying to me." Her eyes opened once more and Regina knew the pain in them all too well. "I had to know that you meant it, Regina, because I have seen how difficult it is to give the darkness up." And that was something that the witch could not deny: even now she could feel the book calling her, begging her to use it with a sweet voice that promised victory and happiness. When she'd been younger, Regina had resisted and denied the thoughts that plagued her, the flames of anger and hatred licking at her skin, but she'd succumbed in the end and it had destroyed her. The darkness destroyed _everything_._

_She breathed out a long sigh, reaching for Belle's hand and grasping it firmly between her own, much like she had with Emma before the blonde had left. "I understand, and believe me, I am just as relieved as you are. The blackness is no friend of mine." She released the other woman and allowed her shoulders to slump slightly, her energy drained from the desperate use of magic and the constant battle against her own demons. She looked regretfully at the cabinet before waving her hand to seal it shut with magic, adding a layer to the enchantment so that the evil entity inside could not extend its oily influence into anyone's mind, especially not hers. Nobody could be hurt by it now, or ever again._

_Belle smiled at the former queen, embracing her tightly before leaving the room. She knew that Regina needed space for her thoughts. The witch was left in the silence of her study, with no distractions from the ache in her heart and the fear tracing its way up her spine. They were running out of time._

* * *

_The next day saw an exhausted Regina trying to come up with a new plan after a night of no sleep. She'd been haunted by her own imagination, as she'd conjured up possible consequences should she fail to mend the cracks between realities and it drove her away from any chance at rest. Instead she had reached out for Emma once more, slightly more successful this time as she joined the blonde in her dreamscape. She couldn't do much, but it was a balm to her soul after all this time. Now, she was trying to prepare breakfast for her houseguests but kept losing track of what she was doing._

"_Here, let me help you out, love." Hook came out of seemingly nowhere, startling Regina who then realised that he'd been calling her for five minutes. Glancing around revealed the presence of all the adults currently staying in the house, but she was thankfully spared the embarrassment of appearing weak in front of the Lost Boys. The pirate attempted to continue her cooking, but discovered that he actually had no idea what he was doing since he'd never made pancakes before. Neal muttered something about 'useless seadogs' before shoving the older man out of the way and flipping the pan as if he'd been born in a diner kitchen. Hook shrugged and wandered back over to his seat, sliding in next to Tinkerbell and leering at her. Tink ignored him and continued her conversation with Belle, but was soon distracted by his hands around her waist as he tried to drag her closer to him. She slapped his hands away and gave him a glare over her shoulder, only to receive a kicked puppy expression and a huff of disappointment._

"_No heavy petting at the table, children," Regina muttered, rubbing at her forehead as if that would soothe the pounding ache behind her eyes. Belle looked over in concern, but wisely didn't mention it._

"_Where do we go from here? Is there anyone you haven't spoken to that might know something?" she asked instead, helpfully changing the subject and distracting Regina from the pain in her skull._

"_The fairies may have some information, but I can guarantee you that they would never give it to me. Blue's hated me since I was a child because of who my mother was." She leaned over the counter, facing away from the others and looking out of the window as she considered the mother she'd lost. She hadn't forgiven Snow for that, but she had learned that vengeance wouldn't make the pain go away, so she was still trying to mend fences with the mother of her true love instead. She knew it wouldn't win her any points with Emma, since the blonde was no prize to be won, she just felt that it was the right thing to do after everything that had happened and all those years of mindless rage. Tink had been right about letting it go: it did make her feel lighter, but she couldn't drift away when she had so many people keeping her grounded._

"_That seems unfair. Tink, could you talk to mother superior?" Belle enquired, turning to her friend. The recently restored fairy looked doubtful._

"_I can try, but I don't think I've earned the necessary level of trust. Don't we know anyone with more sway over her?" Tinkerbell looked hopefully at Regina, who was lost in thought. The former queen considered for a few minutes, before sighing as she realised that she'd have to admit defeat on this one. She'd have to ask for help from the one person she'd hoped she'd never have to go to._

"_I need to speak with Snow."_

* * *

At this point in the telling, Snow was interrupted by a knock on the door. Emma looked over from where she'd been washing dishes in the sink, still listening intently to the story. Her mother appeared unsurprised at the intrusion, as if she'd been expecting a visitor. She slid the door open, revealing a slightly uncertain Regina, who immediately glanced around the apartment, until her gaze settled on Emma. She noticeably relaxed her posture when she registered the fact that the blonde seemed entirely calm and accepting of the situation.

"Perfect timing, as usual." Snow's eyes sparkled with amusement, having figured out that the older woman had been waiting outside for the right moment. Regina made a face at her and moved towards the dining table, while Emma tried not to find the whole interaction adorable. She was failing abysmally, of course, and she had to admit that the truce between her mother and the other brunette was still strange to see. She kept expecting one of them to snap and start bringing up every time the other had wronged them, until both of their images were covered with the mud of their morally dubious pasts. Even after hearing about Regina's brush with death and subsequent deal with Snow, it was hard to believe that they'd finally decided to let it be after all these years of trying to destroy each other. Emma didn't understand the bonds formed by shared loss.

"I strengthened your wards, as well as the ones at Granny's," Regina stated stiffly, earning a nod of acknowledgement from Snow. The statement caused Emma to frown, remembering what the witch had said earlier about the consequences of using her magic to reinforce the barriers. Now that she was paying close enough attention, she noticed how the former queen appeared to be slightly unsteady in her heels. The blonde watched as Regina placed a shaking hand on the table for support, before lowering herself slowly into a chair. Emma felt a spark of concern and soon found herself walking swiftly around the table, reaching out for Regina and indicating that the other woman should place her hands palms up on the flat surface so that the blonde could position her own hands just above them. She was met with a stubborn expression, however, and ended up engaging in a staring contest until the other woman finally decided that she was too tired to fight over this. Once the relevant body parts were arranged to the Emma's satisfaction, she closed her eyes and waited for the pull she'd felt that morning. When nothing happened for several moments, she opened her eyes once more to fix Regina with a glare of irritation. The witch raised an eyebrow, unwilling to say that she was too weak to drag Emma's life force out of her: it was not an easy process and it was usually unpleasant for the person being drained, although this didn't appear to apply to the Saviour. The blonde huffed in response to Regina's unhelpful silence and tried to remember how she'd called up the power in the fight earlier, hoping that it wasn't something that she could only do in emergencies. Once she'd identified the familiar stirring of energy at the base of her stomach, she focused on guiding it down her arms and pushing it into Regina, her eyes zeroed in on their hands as blue sparks jumped from her to the brunette.

The former queen began to look noticeably healthier as the transfer continued, and she couldn't help but savour the feeling of Emma's magic running through her. It felt just as natural as the air inflating her lungs and the blood rushing through her veins. It was less intense than it had been towards the end of the earlier battle, which Regina was thankful for since the energy had taken her so high that she couldn't trust that she wouldn't embarrass herself if it happened again and she wasn't distracted by the possibility of imminent death.

"Stop now, Emma," Regina requested softly, after a few minutes of the process. Emma had only just begun to show signs of weariness, but the brunette refused to allow the ridiculously self-sacrificing hero to give away anymore of herself. She turned to Snow as the blonde recovered, finding herself on the receiving end of a curious look. She quickly attempted to divert the attention away from what had just occurred. "Are the dwarves still at the mine?"

The seven dwarves had been sleeping on the floor of the Charmings' apartment ever since Regina had put the wards up, but they usually stayed at the mine all day, providing the fairies with any dust they could find. There wasn't much left, but it was all necessary for the protection spells that the fairies had cast around the convent. The dwarves' absence also allowed the couple to have some _alone time_, but Regina refused to think about the implications of that. Snow nodded absently in reply to her question, but her eyes remained on her slightly dazed daughter. The witch wished that there were some way to tell the other brunette that Emma's body was reacting to the magical transfer as if she'd just had a really good orgasm, but Snow would be horrified and, although that would be hilarious, it was not worth the blonde's humiliation.

"Is this normal?" David enquired from his seat on the other side of Regina. He was staring at his daughter with concern as she blinked slowly and lowered herself carefully into the empty seat to the brunette's left, seemingly unaware of her hovering mother. With Emma this close, Regina could see how the other woman was trembling and she couldn't help thinking about more direct ways to get her in that state. Licking her lips, she averted her gaze and offered David a reassuring smile.

"Yes, she just needs a few moments to adjust. It's quite an intense event, especially for her because she's so inexperienced and so…giving." The brunette swallowed, wishing for a new subject.

"Did you check in with Henry?" Snow place a hand on her daughter's shoulder to steady her and viewed Regina's body language with interest as the flustered brunette gathered herself.

"Of course. He's absolutely delighted that Pegasus is staying with us and has requested the opportunity to ride on the horse's back as he flies. I told him he'd have to learn to ride his own steed first."

"He's making good progress," David warned, shooting her a grin. "You may not be able to hold that one over him for long." Regina's response was interrupted by Emma's hand touching hers, and she turned to find the blonde gazing at her with clear, curious eyes.

"Can you tell me what happened when you went to see Snow?"

* * *

_When Regina gingerly knocked on the door of the Charmings' apartment she was promptly greeted with two surprised exclamations and a good few thuds before Snow answered the door looking dishevelled. The former queen blinked and quickly decided that there was absolutely no way on Earth, or in any other reality, that she was going to even think about what that might mean. She looked carefully over the younger woman's shoulder and asked her question. She tried to keep her expression blank and her voice steady, determined not to display the damage this was doing to her pride._

"_Sure, of course I'll talk to Blue. Could you give us an hour? We'll meet at the mansion and head over to the convent together?" Snow carefully altered her tone at the last minute so that it sounded like a question, instead of an order. Regina despised being told what to do, since every person in her life who had done so had also hurt her in some way. The witch agreed to Snow's suggestions and left swiftly, carefully not thinking about what the Charmings needed a whole hour for._

* * *

_At the convent, Regina was unsurprised to receive an ice cold greeting from the mother superior. Blue's eyes swept over her body with a pinched look of disdain, as if the former queen were somehow worth less that the dirt on her shoes. Snow and David noticed this and moved closer to Regina in a display of solidarity, their expressions turning equally sour as they glared defiantly back at the fairy, who was visibly shocked by change in loyalties._

"_Since when are you friends with the Evil Queen?" The moniker appeared to leave a foul taste in her mouth, but Regina refused to be cowed. She was about to snap back with a witty rejoinder when Snow interrupted._

"_Since she gave our daughter and grandson a happy ending," the pixie-haired brunette growled, eyes flashing with authority and finality. Blue was taken aback once more and seemed incapable of forming an appropriate response. Regina was thankfully denied the opportunity to think too deeply about Snow's words and what they meant for their slowly healing relationship, as the other woman continued with her speech. "Now, do you know anything about whether we can cross the town line?" Her words were quiet and forceful, leaving no room for ambiguous explanations or nonsensical riddles. The fairy glared resentfully back at the determined woman, knowing that it was not in her best interest to refuse someone so beloved by so many. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides and looked down, as if praying for strength from the God she'd been forced to believe in._

"_Only a person who was unaffected by the original curse would be able to cross the line, and even then they would need to be protected by both light and dark magic. Before the Evil…excuse me, _Regina_, cast the second curse, the first stipulation alone would have been enough, however, if the fabric of reality is unravelling as you believe it is then you need to ensure that it is not destabilised further. The protection spells should include both shielding against all forms of magic, as well as hiding the subject from the curse itself. Now, may I ask why you're sending someone away from Storybrooke?" She glared directly at Regina as she uttered this question, clearly hoping that the witch would be exiled once more. The former queen just smiled disarmingly back at her, baring her teeth. Snow and David observed the interaction with no small measure of amusement, able to appreciate Regina's almost vicious sense of humour now that it wasn't being used against them. Snow gave the other woman a questioning look, receiving a nod and a shrug as the sorceress decided that Blue's suggestions sounded reasonable._

"_We need Emma and Henry to return, and soon. Regina believes that our daughter may be the only person alive who can help her mend the damage to the walls between worlds," David answered, the pride he had in his powerful daughter clear in his voice. The fairy nodded thoughtfully at the idea, gifting the witch with a rare look of respect._

"_It's a risk. I can't promise that their arrival won't tear more threads apart, so be prepared for an increase in the frequency of invasions by otherworldly creatures. There's also the possibility that sending for them could cause the fragile situation we have here to collapse completely." A worried frown took up residence on Blue's face as she considered the various possible repercussions of this plan._

"_Do we have any other options?" Snow sighed, wearily. The frowning woman paused, but then shook her head sadly. The Charmings, the fairy and the witch all looked at each other, knowing that this was their best shot but that they may not survive it. They also knew they were going to do it anyway._

* * *

_The Charmings, Neal, Hook, Tink and Belle were all gathered in Regina's study, sitting close to the roaring fire in order to fight off the early April chill. The former queen looked over the people who had become so important to her in these last few months, considering each one in turn. David and Snow were huddled together on the sofa, sharing soft smiles and speaking quietly to each other with warm, honeyed tones. Tink sat across Hook's lap in the armchair and, judging by the pirate's expression, was probably insulting him with her usual flair for the creative. Belle was curled up on the rug in front of the fire, tilting her face towards its heat; Neal stood in a corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of his chest. He and Belle were the only ones to return Regina's stare as they waited for her to begin. She cleared her throat and was immediately granted the attention of everyone in the room._

"_As you all know, the task of bringing Emma and Henry home has become a matter of urgency due to the rapid deterioration of the walls between worlds." She smoothed out her skirt and folded her ankles, ever the picture of grace and poise even when she felt lacking in both virtues. She heard a murmur of agreement and received a few encouraging nods from the group. "After speaking with Blue, it has been decided that we're ready to send someone to find her." She continued, explaining the stipulations which had to be satisfied by whoever was chosen. Hook, Tink and Neal all tensed as they processed this information and realised that they were the only people in town, other than Regina, who had not been involved in the original curse. They all tried to catch her eye, but she held up a hand to prevent them from speaking. "I believe that the choice of messenger is quite clear, since Emma will only have memories of one of you." She looked towards Neal, causing everyone else to do the same. The man in question just shrugged and seemed unperturbed by this turn of events._

"_I kinda expected this," he explained, before frowning and shooting Regina a worried expression. "You are aware that she'll hate me, right?"_

* * *

"Yeah, Regina, why did you think that sending _him_ would work? He's the guy who landed me in jail, after all." Emma tilted her head in question and Regina shifted, uncomfortable. She cast her eyes downwards, avoiding the blonde's enquiring stare.

"If you ah…if you pay specific attention to your memories of Neal, you may find that there's a slight difference in intensity between the real and fake." Regina spoke quietly, hoping that the blonde would forgive her for this interference. She'd been telling the truth when she'd informed Neal that she'd suppressed Emma's memory of the man so that the blonde could be happy, but she knew that wasn't the only reason. Even then, her magic had been working to improve her chances with her true love, and she'd selfishly allowed it to happen.

Emma's focus turned inwards as she dragged up the relevant recollections from both timelines, noticing immediately that the edited versions were blurred and vague, while the reality stood out in stark contrast: all bright colours, deep love, loss and pain. She gasped as she remembered, tears welling in her eyes as she felt that loneliness and sense of betrayal once more. The sensation of a warm hand on her forearm drew her attention back to the present and she was met with Regina's worried expression. She flinched away, unsure of how she felt about having her mind altered to such an extent that she barely registered the emotions that had changed her whole world. The brunette accepted the sting of rejection, knowing that it was understandable and deserved.

"I think you should leave," Emma said quietly. When she'd overhead the argument in the kitchen the night before, she'd been too distracted to question what Regina had meant about "reducing the effect", but now she could see how the witch had changed her _personality_ just by changing the intensity of those defining moments. As she continued to examine the edited version of her life, she discovered ever more evidence of the witch's subtle adjustments to her character: alongside the joyful scenes from Henry's childhood, there were nights spent reading novels that she'd never be able to get through in reality; there were cookbooks that she'd never buy and meals that were far too elaborate for the real Emma to consider worth making. The blonde shook with a strange kind of helpless horror as she watched the two lives she'd lived collide in explosive confusion. The result was a strange juxtaposition of events that didn't go together and she felt _violated_. "Please, Regina. I can't even look at you right now. Just go."

Snow and David watched in silent shock as their daughter, who had shared her life force with the witch only half an hour earlier, callously pushed the distressed woman away and told her to get out. Regina looked stricken and didn't appear to notice or care about the tears trickling down her lightly tanned face, her mascara leaving unattractive smears on her cheeks. She stood up jerkily like a puppet whose strings had been severed, before stumbling towards the exit on autopilot, still slightly dazed by the quick turnaround in Emma's attitude towards her. She didn't allow herself to make a sound until she'd made it home, walked straight past the worried faces of her houseguests and locked herself in her bedroom. She cast a quick soundproofing spell before she curled up on the floor and let out a sob.


	8. Chapter 7

Notes: I am a nerd, so I looked up Regina's house and found a video tour of the mansion it's based on over here: post/52064378225/108mifflinst, so you guys can check that out if you're interested.

Also, I'm sorry for the delay in writing this chapter: Christmas is always a tough time for me and honestly, I much prefer writing fight scenes to slow descriptions, so it was even more difficult to motivate to get this section done because it's mostly dialogue and exposition. It's all important for the plot and the character's stories, but it's just not as fun as killing evil creatures or turning them into frogs!

Finally, I'm looking for a beta if anyone's up for it? Volunteers? Anybody?

Chapter Seven: Toil and Trouble

Emma couldn't figure out what Regina had been thinking: did she think that altering someone's personality was acceptable? At least when she'd done it to Snow and the rest of the town, she'd developed entirely separate identities so that everyone could differentiate between the lives they'd lived in the Enchanted forest and the people they'd been cursed to be for twenty-eight years. Emma, however, could absolutely recognise herself in her memories, which made the differences all the more jarring.

"Emma? What happened?" Snow approached the blonde slowly, picking up the seat that Regina left unoccupied and placing it to Emma's left. David shuffled his chair closer so that he was situated directly next to his daughter on her other side. The woman in question hunched in on herself as her parents crowded her personal space, but couldn't quite bring herself to ask them to back off. She'd never admit it, but she appreciated the comfort of their closeness. She liked the sound of her name when they said it: like it was something precious that had to be protected, but also revered and respected.

"Please talk to us, Emma," David requested softly, reaching out to push her blonde curls back over her shoulder so he could see her face. She looked over at him and attempted a smile, shaking her head as if to say that it wasn't anything serious, but this merely earned her a raised eyebrow and an amused expression. "You look exactly like your mother when _she_'s trying to hide something from me, so don't go thinking that I'll ever be fooled." Both father and daughter turned to face Snow, who had the sense to appear vaguely apologetic.

"Dad-" Emma's eyes went wide and David's got a bit tearful, but he coughed and turned his face away to hide it. The blonde very rarely referred to him as her father, and never did it without thinking. She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably under the happy expressions her parents were sending her way, quickly deciding to distract them by talking. "You know that Regina rewrote my memories, right?" They both nodded, exchanging glances which suggested that they might know where this was going. Emma, who was staring at her hands palms down on the table top, didn't notice, but continued in a neutral tone. "She also changed parts of _me_ in the process."

"How so?" Snow enquired, trying to remain unbiased and detached despite the fact that she automatically wanted to side with Emma and turn her against the former Evil Queen. She swallowed back the notion, knowing that reigniting such a bloody feud would only result in disaster, possibly even the collapse of reality if Regina refused to help them stop it. It was still hard to watch her child go through any kind of pain, especially when her former nemesis was the cause.

"It's like there are two versions of me in my head and there's these tiny differences between the one she created and the _real_ one…or is there even a real one anymore? They both feel real!" Emma clenched her hands into fists and breathed out slowly, trying to calm down as she felt her oddly aggravated magic try to push its way out of her body and do who-knows-what. Huffing out another breath, she gathered herself to continue. "She _domesticated_ me, Snow. She made me into this perfect, educated housewife!" Snow almost laughed at her daughter's affronted expression.

"Have you any idea why she'd do that?" she asked instead, but she had a feeling that she already knew the reason.

"No," the blonde grumbled in reply, tilting her head and closing her eyes in thought. Finally, she sighed. "At first I thought she was making 'improvements' just because she could, especially since she always used to enjoy insulting my lack of education and everything, but that's not it." Snow shook her head in agreement, silently urging Emma to continue. "It's for Henry. She wanted him to have the best mother possible, so she…" Her words trailed off as she considered the reality of what she was saying: Regina had made sure that Henry would be provided for in every way, so she'd made sure Emma could cook his favourite meals, knew all those tiny little facts about him and was well-read enough to teach him even more. She'd even shored up the blonde's schooling, which had been sub-par at best, so that she'd be able to help Henry with his assignments until he left for college, maybe even after. Regina had shoved all of Emma's worst memories into the corner of her mind, making them small and insignificant so that Henry could have a mother who was happy and stable: one who could love him as fully and freely as he needed. Tears welled in the blue eyes as the blonde realised that the other woman had tried, in her own misguided way, to give her a gift and she'd completely flipped out on her for it. "I…I think I should go talk to her."

"That sounds wise," Snow murmured, watching her daughter carefully. "And could you ask Henry if he'd like to come over and visit with us soon? Check with Regina as well, of course." Emma nodded absently as she headed over to the door.

"Wait, one more question." She stopped walking abruptly as something occurred to her. "This morning, when the Gorgons turned up, Regina knew right away?" Her parents nodded in response.

"She called us at 8am and asked us to make the usual calls around town, checking for sightings and so on." David eyed his daughter curiously as he answered.

"And this sense she has, it hurts her?" Emma wore that concerned expression once more, the same one she'd adopted when Regina had stumbled into the apartment earlier. Her forehead creased in worry and her fingers fidgeted as she waited for an answer. David took this as a good sign for his daughter's developing relationship with the former queen, although he never thought he'd be hoping for such an outcome.

"Yes," he replied softly. "She doesn't say anything, but the first time it happened she collapsed and we feared that some other witch was trying to kill her." The blonde stiffened at this, before turning and shoving her way through the door and out onto the street, leaving her confused parents to contemplate how times had changed. Snow couldn't quite believe that she'd had a hand in convincing her only child to return to the Evil Queen, but she saw the power of true love at work and resigned herself to the inevitable.

* * *

When Emma slammed the front door open she was met with complete silence. The living room contained almost every adult who currently lived in the mansion, all of whom merely looked at her solemnly and wordlessly pointed upstairs.

"Right," the blonde muttered, starting up the stairs at a determined pace. She slowed when Regina's bedroom came into view, however, and was practically tip-toeing by the time she reached the solid white wooden door. She placed her palm against the cool surface and sighed, wondering where to start. She heard vague sounds coming from the other side and when she moved closer, they revealed themselves to be the helpless noises made by someone who was crying too hard to care. She knocked lightly and called to the other woman. "Regina?" The sounds stopped immediately. "Regina, please let me in." She heard a sniffle and the click of a lock, before finding herself face to face with the woman she felt so much for but didn't quite understand.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't _bear_ to look at me." She hissed the words angrily, but her eyes just looked resigned. The blonde understood the impulse to lash out when hurt, but really wanted this drama to be over with as soon as possible.

"Look, Regina, I made a mistake by overreacting, but you did too when you decided that I wasn't a good enough mother for Henry. When you changed aspects of my personality without asking me or even considering the consequences should I find out? That was _wrong_." She paused to observe the remorseful expression on the other woman's face. "Do you know why I was upset about it?"

"I'm sorry, Emma," the brunette muttered, eyes downcast. "I was panicking and I wanted to give Henry his best chance. I didn't want him to become someone else, so I had to change parts of _you_ so you could raise him like I would have. It was selfish and I can't change it, so I'm just…sorry." Emma blinked at the honest apology. She'd expected this to devolve into an argument where she tried to teach the other woman basic social concepts like _thinking of others_ and _not abusing power_. Clearly the brunette had learned a lot in the last year – she'd changed and become a better person for it. The blonde found herself hoping that the other woman would tell her exactly what had happened in her absence, since there were clearly still some gaps in the story (what was the deal with Robin Hood, anyway?), but shook it off and nodded to Regina.

"I understand why you did it, and I have to admit that if you hadn't sent for us, Henry and I would have truly lived happily ever after because of your spell. Thank you for that." She shuffled agitatedly, not exactly a fan of these sorts of conversations. "I guess knowing more without having to do the work is everyone's dream anyway," she continued with a wry smile, successfully breaking the tension and forcing a surprised laugh out of Regina. "Can we agree not to have another emotional blowout until at least twenty-four hours from now? It's exhausting." The other woman let out a light huff of amusement, lifting slightly reddened eyes to meet Emma's and slightly dazzling the blonde with her relieved smile.

They wordlessly made their way downstairs, both trying not to get caught looking at each other and failing pathetically. The blonde still wasn't entirely comfortable with what Regina had done, but she couldn't truly be angry about it either, especially when she considered the other woman's genuinely good intentions.

"Mom! Ma!" Henry threw himself at them as soon as they arrived in the living room, giving both women a sense of déjà vu as they recalled the last time this had happened: after Henry had switched bodies once more with Pan and was his familiar self again. "You guys started fighting already? We've not even been back a day!" He shook his head in mock disappointment and Emma couldn't help feeling suitably chastised, as she recognised that expression from Regina's reactions to various displays of the blonde's so-called incompetence. It occurred to her, however, that Henry now had memories of both his mothers raising him separately and she resolved to have a chat with him about it later.

"The Saviour returns!" Hook announced, jovially toasting her with a flask that was likely full of his notoriously potent rum. She eyed the clock, noticing that it read four o'clock and shooting him a quick look of disapproval which was merely shrugged off with an unrepentant grin. He was sat in a sofa next to Tinkerbell, who seemed to be tilting sideways slightly with a bemused expression. Noticing the direction of Emma's gaze, Hook turned to the fairy next to him and his features softened with a look of affection that the blonde had never seen him wear before. His arm wrapped around Tink and pulled her against him so she could place her head on his shoulder and steady herself. "We were celebrating our glorious victory against those horrifying beasts," he continued with a smug smile. Regina snorted at this.

"Clearly we were fighting different battles, Hook. I seem to recall you hiding behind a pile of broken furniture while Emma and I dealt with the enemy." Her raised eyebrow was dismissed with a casual wave from the slightly inebriated pirate. The witch's lips thinned in irritation as she glanced from her curious son to the rather poor examples of responsible adults, both of whom seemed to now be dozing off. She'd have to yell at Hook later. Again. She knew that the fragility of the current situation was affecting everyone, but she could not allow drunkenness to be seen as an acceptable coping mechanism.

Regina and Emma silently agreed to remove Henry from the room and ushered him into the family room at the front of the house. The blonde looked around in surprise as she walked into what now appeared to be a make-shift classroom. Small tables lined the walls on one side, with a large space in the middle where five of the Lost Boys seemed to be listening attentively as Belle read from a book, moving her hands around expressively as she pointed to images on the pages and explained what they meant. The boys who sat around her looked to be of varying ages, but as Emma continued to observe the lesson, she realised that Belle was teaching them how to read. In fact, she was reading them _fairytales_, which seemed almost laughably appropriate. Every so often, the ex-librarian would hand the book over to one of the kids and he'd hold it like it was a precious object (clearly they'd also been taught to adopt their teacher's respect for the written word), stuttering the sentences out with a determined expression. If a boy got stuck, Belle would softly encourage him by reading along and gently prodding him to repeat a word until he got the pronunciation correct. It was a wonderful thing to watch and Emma couldn't help but smile at the sight. However, her mood dropped as she remembered the way she'd been mocked for her reading mistakes in class as a child and the nights she'd spent in various foster homes hoping that someone would read with her just like this, but she was refused so many times that she stopped asking. Her fists clenched in anger and she closed her eyes to focus on letting it go, but it was difficult, especially now that she had a child of her own and knew how simple it was to help a little kid with important things like that.

Emma blinked as she felt a hand grasp her own, turning to see Regina's apologetic and understanding expression. She shook her head, pulling away and shutting down the emotions a stupid reading lesson had brought out in her. She looked at Henry instead, noting his frown and slightly confused expression.

"Ma," he muttered to her quietly so the Lost Boys wouldn't overhear. "Why can't they read?" It occurred to Emma that her son had never considered what life would be like in Neverland or the Enchanted Forest if he'd stayed there long-term or had been born there. He'd only ever thought about cool sword fights, riding horses and being a hero, so it was difficult to decide how to respond, knowing that it would ruin his idealised fantasy version of storybook life.

"Henry," Regina spoke up, sparing Emma from being the cause of the realisation that would follow. "Most of these boys are from the poorer parts of the Enchanted forest, where it was rare for the lower classes to be literate so their parents couldn't teach them such things, and you already know that Pan didn't spare much thought for education in Neverland." She spoke frankly, knowing that her son preferred straightforward answers because it made it easier for him to accept that she wasn't lying. The boy in question didn't appear too upset, just thoughtful as he absorbed this information.

"Right, well, maybe Belle could do with some help then." He nodded to himself, before marching over and claiming himself a space in the group. His legs were so long now that the boys had to adjust around him to make room for his gangly limbs. Regina concluded that it was probably time for a new wardrobe and a haircut. The ex-librarian looked up at the two mothers, before she handed the book over to Henry so he could continue the story and got up.

"Regina? Some of the older boys are with Archie and Granny over at the diner, if you'd like to help out with the more advanced lessons. You know it always ends up being a weird combination of crossbow shooting and therapy if you don't turn up." Belle offered the former queen a genuine smile, observing the lack of personal space between the two women and hoping that her friend was finally getting her happy ending. Regina caught this expression and made sure Emma wasn't paying attention as she shook her head in denial, causing the other brunette to wince in sympathy. They both knew that true love wasn't perfect, especially when there was so much evil to forgive, and Regina was certain that the blonde would never want her back anyway.

"It's okay, I'll stay here with Henry and you can go make sure those boys don't end up with bolts in their butts," Emma suggested, her sea foam-coloured eyes dancing with amusement. "They'd probably appreciate it if you caught them before they embarrassed themselves by crying about their emotional trauma to Archie. The kids have been through a lot, but they still have to pretend they're okay in front of their family." Her tone was more serious as she said this and Regina knew that the other woman truly understood why she preferred to deal with the boys individually when it came to their personal problems. She didn't even want to _mention_ the boxes of tissues she had to surreptitiously sneak into the basement every week, while everyone looked the other way and acted like there wasn't a growing number of post-pubescent boys in the house as the younger ones finally began to age again.

_She'd received visits from almost every Lost Boy during the first few months, all twenty of them, for precisely this reason: they were ageing, and for some of them it had been centuries since anything had changed. The former queen had soon realised that she'd need to recruit help of the male variety, so she'd called on Archie and Charming but this had led to quite possibly the most awkward sex education lecture anyone could have imagined: the therapist could hardly speak through his stutter and David seemed to think that it was a good idea to simply inform horny teenagers that waiting for their true love was the best option. Needless to say, nobody had been satisfied with that particular display._

_In the end, Regina had thrown up her hands in defeat, loudly cursing herself for leaving important matters to such fools. She'd then summoned a crate of bananas and a huge bucket of condoms, insisting that everyone had to be able to roll the contraceptive device onto the piece of fruit before they were allowed to leave the basement. She'd been tempted to pretend to lock the door in order to make her point, but she didn't want to scare the children too badly. The brunette was determined to leave that unnecessarily cruel remnant of herself in the past, especially since Hansel and Gretel still hadn't forgiven her for separating them from their father. After ensuring that all the boys were capable of practising safer sex, she'd given a very firm talk about consent, as well as covering same-sex relations and transsexuality. Some of the boys had gotten uncomfortable at the mention of the latter subjects, but she noticed that others looked relieved that they'd been included. There'd been visits after that day as well, and she'd just been thankful that the boys had decided to trust her. One of the boys had subsequently come out as gay and one as pansexual, so she offered her support but understood that the Lost Boys were ultimately a family by themselves, so acceptance had to grow naturally and not because she threatened to curse anyone who dared make a comment. Not everyone was yet ready to confront their identity, however, so she also found herself having regular chats with a boy who thought he might actually be female, but wasn't certain enough to change his pronouns or body. It had been an enlightening few months for many reasons, all things considered: she'd built a new family and taught acceptance to her accidentally-adopted children, despite the fact that she'd never thought herself capable of either achievement._

Drawing her thoughts back into the present, she smiled gratefully at Emma and turned to wave a hesitant goodbye to her son. She made a mental note to set aside some time that evening to properly spend time with him, but she was wary of smothering him after being apart for so long. He probably needed to deal with his conflicting memories as well, just as Emma had. She frowned at this thought, facing the blonde once more.

"Perhaps you could talk to him about his memories?" she asked, quietly. She wished it weren't necessary, but considering the other woman's strong reaction to discovering how the changes had affected her personality, Regina knew it was inevitable that Henry would want to talk about it, and it was unlikely that he'd want to discuss it with _her_. "Just let me know if he needs time away from me, please?" She swallowed back the fear of losing him again and focused on her desire to make sure that her son was happy even if it destroyed her, like it had almost done a year before when she'd been forced to let him go. Emma's eyes were understanding and she nodded in response, placing a hand on Regina's shoulder as a gesture of comfort. Gold sparks ignited at the touch, causing the blonde to jump in surprise as if she'd forgotten what happened when they came into contact. The former queen merely let out a long, defeated breath at the reminder, shrugging off the memory of Emma's touch and heading towards the front door.

* * *

Granny's diner looked exactly as she'd expected: Granny, Ruby and half of the boys were situated at tactically offensive positions, trying to take out their "opponents" (Archie and his team) with rubber cross bolts, while the second team attempted to fend off the missiles by holding up chairs and tables like shields. Deaths were frequent and hilariously dramatic. She observed through the window for a few moments, noting how sloppily organised the second team were: they'd be far better protected if they moved as a unit, using their respective pieces of furniture as a wall of defence, but alas, what could she expect from a glorified grasshopper? Rolling her eyes and digging into her magic, she drew up personal shields against any ill-advised attack before entering the disaster area. As expected, she was shot at from all directions as soon as she set foot in the once-respectable establishment. None of the crossbolts hit her, of course, and she took satisfaction from the disappointed groans that followed.

"Enough, boys. Archie, need I remind you of the reason the Romans were so successful in conquering half the world? Think about that for next time." She looked around at them sternly, trying not to laugh at their red faces. "In fact, all of you can write me an essay on the defensive tactics of Roman soldiers. Please include examples of specific battles and remember that I won't accept less than three thousand words." The dramatic wails of despair that she received for that just made her grin unapologetically at the irritable bunch of teenagers. "That includes you, Archie. I would be personally mortified if you'd led my men into a real battle with such lack of forethought."

The therapist just quietly accepted the sniggers he got for that comment, including a few exclamations of "oh burn, dude!" and "you totally got owned!" Regina shook her head at the boys' childish antics and tried to pretend she wasn't amused by the reaction. Ruby and Granny made their way to her, sometimes having to shove their way through the crowd of stubborn youths.

"I assume the Gorgons have been appropriately disposed of?" Granny enquired in that business-like tone that Regina always appreciated, especially since it had the effect of immediately quietening the room and calling everyone's attention to her.

"Emma and I turned them into doves," she replied, carefully looking away from the teenagers who would consider that to be the 'lamest thing ever'. She had a reputation as an Evil Queen to uphold, after all, she couldn't have her subjects knowing that she turned fearsome creatures into lovebirds. There were a few surprised guffaws from the eldest boys, but the rest still managed to either look impressed or relieved.

"Well, that's new." Was all Ruby had to say on the subject, before moving on to more important matters. "How _is_ Emma? Has she settled in okay? I know she must have been pretty freaked out. And how's Belle been?" The werewolf's friendship with the other brunette had only strengthened since Rumpelstiltskin's apparent death and her concern for both women was genuine.

"They're both fine: they're teaching the younger boys at the moment," Regina replied soothingly, before looking at her surroundings with a pointed expression. "I was under the impression that lessons were occurring here as well, but I was clearly mistaken." Some of the boys shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, but Granny stared right back at her, unaffected. She and Granny were still at odds on the matter of educating the Lost Boys, since the older woman thought it was more pressing for them to be taught battle tactics, while Regina wanted to protect them from the skirmishes that kept happening around town. She'd seen how discontent they'd been in Neverland and could visibly see that fading as they expanded their minds and learned more about this world. She remembered the first time she'd explained gravity to them: she thought she'd broken their brains, but then someone yelled 'prove it!', triggering their sudden descent into physics, natural laws and basic mathematics. She wished she had the time to plan a proper curriculum, but most of the time she just taught them whatever she thought they'd find interesting and then gave them books on whichever subjects caught their attention. It was unstructured, but it seemed to hold their interest and challenge their intellect, so she supposed it would do for now. She didn't like to think too hard about where they'd all be in the future.

"Ah, yes, well, the boys insisted that we rehearse battle strategy today…" Archie scratched the back of his neck nervously, not quite willing to meet her eyes. "They wanted to be prepared if you failed and they were attacked." His gaze was downcast as he said this almost against his will – an unfortunate side effect of being a conscience appeared to be the inability to hide the true reasons for things. The witch's heart sunk at the suggestion, knowing how frightened the boys were about the dangers of the warzone they'd landed in, as well as how angry and frustrated they were due to the fact that they'd been promised a home and this was what they'd received instead.

"I understand your worries, boys," Regina began, knowing that whatever she said would be ultimately ineffective at appeasing their fears. "I can only promise you that I am doing everything in my power to improve the situation and that none of you will be harmed as long as there is breath in my body. Now that Emma has arrived, our defence against the creatures is even stronger and we're making progress towards closing the cracks between worlds."

"How long?" a voice called out from the back wall. The crowd parted as a boy who looked to be about seventeen made his way to the front, standing practically toe to toe with her in an obvious attempt to intimidate the former queen. Regina was unimpressed by his visibly belligerent attitude and his effort to undermine her authority. "How long until we can have normal lives again? You _promised_ us that, as well." She felt a moment of doubt then, softening her posture and almost backing away from the confrontational teen. However, she had a responsibility to these boys and that meant that she couldn't show weakness – not when they were looking to her for strength.

"I'm doing everything I can, Kyle. I can't give you a timeline and you know that perfectly well." Regina searched his eyes, seeing the stirring of rebellion and feeling the fear clench in her guts in response. "Whatever you're planning, young warrior, please don't. It won't end well."

"Why, because I don't have your precious _magic_?" He spat the last word as if it were a curse. "I have my brothers and that is all I've ever needed. We survived without you perfectly well for centuries and now you treat us like children? We may look young, but many of us have endured far longer than you." He glared at her and she knew this was a battle she couldn't win.

"Kyle, it would break my heart to lose any of you and that is _all_ that would happen if you tried to take on any of these creatures alone. You haven't faced anything like them before, and without magical protection…" she trailed off, the note of helplessness clear in her voice. The boy responded by moving even further into her personal space, until their noses were almost touching.

"Then perhaps it's time we learned to fight them," he hissed. He backed off abruptly, turning to his family and calling out for their loyalty. "I refuse to stand aside while adults decide our fate! Tonight, we will seek out these supposedly terrible creatures and take control of our own destinies! Who's with me?" There was an immediate, resounding cheer as every boy threw up his fist in a declaration of allegiance. The sound echoed in Regina's head like a funeral toll and she could only watch as the boys who had once trusted her with their lives and their secrets rebelled against her. She'd been so distracted by her quest to bring Emma and Henry home that she hadn't registered the growing discontent among the Lost Boys. She hadn't even noticed as they spoke to her less and less, too caught up in her own problems, and now she just wanted to weep for them. She sought out Ruby's face in the crowd and saw her horror, but beside her Granny merely looked somewhat proud. Archie had separated himself from the yelling mob, his eyes pleading with Regina, begging her to _do something_.

She shook her head and turned on her heel, her entire posture defeated as she left. She paused only for a second outside the door, giving herself the opportunity to send the last of her freely available magic into the wards around the diner, hoping that somehow the boys would decide to stay there instead, safely inside.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Once Regina had closed the door behind her and set out towards Granny's diner, Emma turned back to the group of young boys on the floor in the family room. Belle had sat down with them once more and was continuing the lesson with the same unending patience and enthusiasm as before. The blonde tried to subtly attract her son's attention, but he seemed captivated by the brunette's expressive way of storytelling. After a few more irritated waves, a boy who looked to be about ten sighed in exasperation and poked Henry, pointing towards his birth mother when he turned.

"What's up, ma?" he asked, dusting off the backside of his jeans as he ambled over. She indicated that he should follow her upstairs to his room, before sitting on his bed and patting the space next to her. She then him her best serious expression, which just succeeded in making Henry nervous. "This isn't another sex talk is it? Because now that I've got all my memories back, I can remember mom giving me that lecture and it involved bananas and I still can't look at them the same way." His nose wrinkled in disgust and Emma had to smile.

"No, kid. It's about those memories." She watched him carefully, checking for any signs of the confusion she'd experienced when reviewing the contradicting versions of events. He just blinked and waited for her to continue. "It doesn't bother you at all to have two different sets?" His mouth widened in an 'O' of realisation before he bounced on the bed happily, grinning at her.

"Nah, it's great! It's like I grew up with both of you and I got to do all the fun stuff twice!" It was Emma's turn to blink, but this time in genuine surprise.

"You're not confused? You really don't mind?" He calmed at that, tilting his head like he always did when he was trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"It really doesn't bother me, ma. Even though things were different with you, I still grew up to be _me_, so it's all good. Don't you see, Emma? I have memories of my life with both of you now." He stared at her earnestly, trying to communicate something that words didn't seem adequate enough to express. It took her a few moments before she finally understood.

"Oh, kid," she sighed, pulling him into a hug. He relaxed into her hold and she allowed herself to be thankful for every mistake she made in her life that resulted in his birth. She even accepted the fact that she was so _overwhelmingly_ grateful to Regina for gifting her with the memories of his childhood, and for setting her up to spend her whole life with the person she loved most in the world.

* * *

Regina entered her mansion silently, noting the voices of Belle and some of the younger boys coming from the family room. She was determined to not cry for the second time that day (really, it was getting ridiculous) so she distracted herself by updating herself on the current situation in the house. She checked the living room, finding Tinkerbell and Hook still asleep on the couch, even though it was still only six o'clock in the evening. She decided they must have been missing a lot of sleep lately, but she refused to think about why. She briefly wondered where Neal was, but then assumed he'd gone over to the Charmings at some point to get some sword fighting tips from David after his abysmal contribution to the battle that morning.

After making her way silently up the stairs and down the corridor towards her bedroom, Regina was quite disappointed to be discovered only moments before she could disappear into the sanctuary of her personal space. Emma had a habit of ruining her plans, unfortunately.

"Regina? Are you okay?" The concern in the blonde's voice almost broke her pathetic attempt at burying her worries. She looked past the other woman to see her son sat on his old bed, exactly where she'd wanted him to be for the past year. She allowed herself a moment of desperate relief, since Henry didn't know anything about the Lost Boys plans for tonight and would therefore remain safe in his bed instead of attempting some crazy Charming-style heroic endeavour.

"Henry, can I borrow your ma for a minute?" Regina had noticed the term Henry had assigned to Emma and selfishly felt a rush of joy every time she remembered that she was still his 'mom', just as she'd always been. Henry considered her for a moment, frowning at her trouble expression before nodding his agreement.

"I'll just go help Belle some more with the boys. Tim said he liked it better when I read with him, anyway," he proclaimed with no small amount of pride. Both mothers watched him go with that same sense of awe, wondering how two broken women had raised such a good kid. Once he'd stomped down the stairs, Regina ushered the other woman into her bedroom and proceeded to explain the situation with the older Lost Boys. Emma agitatedly began to pace the floor when she heard of their plans to go outside the wards at night.

"They're just kids! And if whatever comes next is anything like those slithering bitches this morning, they've got no chance without us!" She clenched her fists in frustration, before stopping suddenly in front of Regina, who was sat on her bed and watching the blonde with a resigned expression. The blonde took an aggressive stance, feet planted and muscles in tension, before proposing her conclusion. "We have to go after them. We have to stop them or at least protect them from the evil thing that's going to try to kill them." Her voice was firm, but Regina remained unmoved by the outburst.

"You can't follow a Lost Boy without him knowing you're there and it's too late to plant a tracking spell on any of them. If we show up and interrupt their _moment of glory_…" She forced the words out, even though they were so wrong that she thought she would choke on them. "…they will never forgive us and they'll never return to a place protected by my wards, just to spite me. It's a point of pride." Emma groaned in response, knowing the recklessness and arrogance of teenage boys all too well. She curled up on the floor next to Regina's feet and pulled her legs in, wrapping her arms around them. She couldn't believe that _fifteen_ of the boys she'd brought home from Neverland were about to throw their lives away on a suicide mission, just to prove that they weren't children.

The two women simply sat in horrified shock, staring ahead as they tried to think of another way to fix this, both unaware of the young gangly boy who had snuck back upstairs and now sat on the other side of the door, having heard their whole conversation.

* * *

Henry's mothers tried to act like everything was normal, even when people commented on the fact that the older Lost Boys hadn't returned from Granny's. They just assured anyone who asked that lessons had probably overrun and the boys had decided to stay over, which was fine because Regina had shored up the wards not that long ago. Nobody was fooled, especially since the former queen's hands were visibly shaking and her dark eyes haunted with regret. A single glance at Henry was enough to silence them however, as they understood the need to protect him from whatever was so seriously wrong.

Dinner was quiet and awkward, with a thick air of tension hanging over the kitchen that had been bustling with people just that morning. The five Lost Boys who'd stayed with Belle looked confused at first, but took the adults' explanations for truth and ignored the odd atmosphere. Regina felt a painful twinge as she betrayed the trust they had in her, but swallowed back the truth because putting them in danger was far worse. Henry happily chattered with his uncharacteristically quiet mothers as if he had no idea what was going on, but was unusually eager to go to bed when it was asked of him later that evening. His mothers just assumed that he'd been tired out by another day of Storybrooke strangeness and didn't question it, much to the young boy's relief.

* * *

That night would hold no peace for Emma or Regina, as they lay awake worrying about their rebellious charges. At around 1am, the blonde gave up on driving herself crazy alone with her thoughts, so she sought out the other woman's company. She climbed on top of the brunette's bedcovers and collapsed next to her, not in any mood to consider the way she'd just disregarded every notion of propriety by invading someone else's bed.

They stared at the ceiling in complete silence until the sun rose, at which point they wordlessly got up to start a new day. On instinct, they both went to check on Henry, knocking gently on his door before pushing it open when they received no response. They exchanged worried glances before entering the room, expecting their son to greet them with a cheeky grin and the gleeful announcement that he'd fooled them into thinking he wasn't there…

Except he really wasn't there. The bed was empty.

Emma's mouth fell open as pure terror gripped her heart. Regina fell to her knees.

Henry's mom started screaming as the stabbing pain in her chest announced the arrival of yet another creature in her town.

She grabbed for the blonde's hand. Their son was out there, unprotected.


	9. Chapter 8

Note: Thanks so much for the great response so far! Seeing new reviews makes me jump up and down with excitement.

Oh, and I used this picture wiki/Henry_Mills?file=202_ as a reference for Henry's room.

Finally, I apologise for the delay in publishing this: I've been bed-bound with depression.

Chapter Eight: Fire Burn

_Earlier that night_

Henry lay in his bed, clenching and unclenching his fists as he listened for any further movements in the house. He'd heard Emma go into his mom's room earlier and was hoping that they were settled for the night, although he did wonder when his mothers would figure out that they were supposed to be _together_. He despaired at the two women but knew that if he pointed it out they'd just tell him he didn't understand: that he was too young and therefore didn't know anything about adult relationships. Mostly, Henry just thought they were being idiots about the whole thing and should just give in to what was clearly going to happen anyway.

He desperately tried to stay awake so he could put his plan into action. Admittedly, it wasn't the most well-thought out idea he'd ever had, but something had to be done and he knew that his mothers couldn't interfere this time. He was going to be the hero for once. He was going to save the Lost Boys, just like his parents had wanted to. He'd convince them to come home, where it was safe.

He waited until the clock read 3am before he made his move. He tugged out the rope he'd made earlier from the sheets he'd stolen off the empty beds in the basement. The younger Lost Boys had looked concerned, but he'd just told them that they owed it to him to keep this secret. They'd looked away then, still slightly ashamed of their part in Pan's plans, and left him to his work. Now, he gently pushed the window open and shivered at the rush of crisp April night air. He paused for a moment to check that he hadn't been heard, before relaxing and tying the makeshift rope to the radiator, just like he'd done when he'd tried to run away from his mom. He silently prayed that she'd forgive him, and that she'd understand that he wasn't trying to get away from _her_ this time.

He gave the rope an experimental tug, making sure that the knot could hold his weight (he'd grown quite a bit since his last attempt) and taking a deep breath before climbing onto the windowsill and carefully lowering himself so that his feet were flat against the outside wall and his back faced the dark night sky. He kept his eyes firmly on his hands where they slid along the rolled up sheets, concentrating on keeping his footing steady and not making a sound. He reached the ground in complete silence and allowed himself a small sigh of relief as he appreciated the feeling of soft ground beneath his feet. He glanced around at what little he could see of the garden, noting that the dark shapes were beginning to look far too wild and overgrown, completely unlike the beautiful plants that his mother had painstakingly nurtured through all the seasons of his childhood. He wondered at the fact that she'd allowed this: did she no longer have time or had she simply lost interest?

He shook his head at his distraction, making his way over to the fence and hopping over, praying that his mother's wards wouldn't alert her to his absence too soon. As soon as he was over the barrier, he started running towards Granny's. The wind threaded cool fingers through his growing hair as he ran, leaving the warmth and safety of his mother's house behind.

He found the diner, but noted its hushed atmosphere and apparent emptiness. He went in to check anyway, remembering how Emma could determine so much about someone's plans by looking at the last place they'd occupied. He lifted a flashlight from the inside pocket of his jacket and pointed it around the main room, looking for clues. The tables and chairs had been thrown together in a pile in the middle of the room, forming a strange sort of fort where Henry could imagine fighting a successful play-battle against any attackers. The fixed booths along the walls appeared empty, except for the one closest to the door at the back. As he came closer, he noticed a piece of paper lying flat out on the table, covered in scribbles which could possibly be interpreted as a battle plan, but only if you really squinted. It didn't say anything about where the Lost Boys might be, so Henry pushed the door at the back of the room open to explore the bed and breakfast part of the building.

An hour later, he had searched everywhere and had found no clues. The sun would be rising at six and Henry was running out of time before his mothers realised he was missing. He decided to start at the centre of town and work his way out, since any commotions should be audible in a town with such a tiny population and an aversion to driving anywhere since their memories had returned.

It had been strange to learn of the new arrangements in place since the curse had failed, but Henry had relentlessly prodded at Belle the previous morning until she'd told him everything: the vast majority of the townspeople had been sent back to the Enchanted Forest, whilst the few that had been at the town line with Regina when she'd cast it remained in Storybrooke, along with the fairies, who'd been protected by the convent's magical wards, and the Lost Boys, who'd been unaffected by the original spell.

Time went by in silence as Henry listened attentively and kept moving, hoping for some sign that would point him in the direction of where the other boys had gone. The sun rose during his search, filling his heart with dread as he wondered what had happened to the missing boys and whether they had survived the night. He then swallowed as he considered how furious his mothers were going to be when he arrived home and they realised he'd been out all night. He thought there still might be a chance that he could sneak in, however, so he picked up his pace and made his way swiftly towards the mansion.

He didn't make it. He was close enough to hear the scream of terror coming out of his open bedroom window. He looked down to see grey-skinned arms wrapped around his waist and he realised he could detect the faint scent of a Sunday roast. He stared up at the open window, just catching the terrified expressions on his mothers faces as they saw him and the strange being which had him in its harsh grip. He mouthed an apology and hoped they'd understand.

"Oh, how lovely. A boy! And you _stink _of magic, child. What fun we'll have together!" A woman's voice cackled gleefully. Henry almost rolled his eyes at the comic book cliché of a villain, but that didn't stop the flood of fear hitting him when his world suddenly shifted sideways.

* * *

_Now_

Regina and Emma watched helplessly as their son disappeared from view. The brunette clenched her fist around the sheets Henry had used – she'd noticed them as soon as she'd stopped screaming in shock and had immediately tugged Emma towards the window, just in time to see the hideous creature grab their son and grin maliciously up at them as she disappeared with him. The light dancing in the grey-skinned woman's eyes that spoke of pure insanity. Emma couldn't decide whether the madness of her son's kidnapper was a good or bad thing, since it meant that she was unlikely to kill him immediately, but who knew what kind of damage she could inflict in the meantime? There had to be a reason why she'd taken him instead of just…the blonde swallowed and turned her thoughts away from the possibilities.

In contrast to Emma's scattered thoughts, the brunette's mind sharpened and cleared, reaching a calm state at odds with the situation. Her eyes darkened and her lips thinned as her world narrowed into one single focus point: finding her son. There was nothing beyond that: no thoughts about what she would do if he were beyond saving when she found him, simply because that was a prospect that she simply could _not_ entertain and still remain functional.

Confused faces appeared in the door as the other inhabitants of the mansion came to investigate the blood-curdling scream that had woken them all up. Neal, Hook, Belle and Tink took in the two women's expressions, the empty bed and the rope of bed sheets and came to the correct conclusion. The group became instantly alert and waited for instructions. Neal's heart raced as he worried frantically for the son he'd just found again, but he knew that it was unwise to mention any of his own concerns at this point in time. He wished the boy would stop slipping through his fingers, though, especially since it left him with very little time to actually get to know him.

When Regina turned to face them, they instinctively cowered under the force of her gaze. Emma stood stiffly by her side, face set in an expression of determination and fear, clearly anxious to be moving. She couldn't figure out what she was waiting for, but something was keeping her next to the other woman. _Our best chance is together_, she thought, allowing the statement to echo in her mind.

"Hook, Tinkerbell and Neal, I want you to co-ordinate the search parties immediately. Have Snow convince the fairies to help and tell her that I will burn their wings off if they refuse." She addressed the three with a hardened tone. The small group left quickly, unwilling to tempt her wrath. "Belle, I would like you to talk to that wolf friend of yours. I have a feeling she accompanied the Lost Boys on their foolish expedition last night and I want to know if they saw anything. Then have her and her _insufferable_ grandmother track Henry's scent and inform me immediately if his location is discovered. _Nobody_ is to attempt to retrieve my son without my express permission, is that clear?"

The other brunette nodded, looking carefully at Regina before hurrying off. The witch supposed that she must look rather intimidating, since Belle was clearly concerned that she was going to break her promise and throw herself into the black hole that was always waiting to consume her. The gaping maw of darkness was particularly tempting at this moment, but she had her true love beside her and that made it possible for her to resist its coaxing.

"Regina, what do _we_ do?" Emma's voice shook as she spoke, breaking the brunette out of her reverie. "I need to do _something_." Regina turned to observe her blonde companion, noting the trembling of her hands as every muscle in her body readied itself for a fight. In this, the two women completely understood each other: they would both go to impossible lengths for their son, which was something that had frightened Snow in Neverland as she realised that her daughter was willing to use Regina's harsh methods to save Henry. The lines between good and evil became almost meaningless when it came to their son.

"We're going to try something which is unlikely to be very pleasant for you, dear," Regina replied quietly, waiting for the response that she knew was coming.

"I don't care what it does to me, just as long as we find our son. I'll do anything." The brunette almost smiled at that, glad to see that the other woman's devotion to their son had not faded – in fact, it could even be called equal to her own.

"Well then, we'll need to be outside of the wards for this, preferably standing in the place he was taken." Regina strode out of the room and Emma followed, trusting the other woman with her son's life, with everything.

* * *

The two women stood on the pavement, just outside the wards and exactly on the spot where Henry had disappeared. The April sun shone weakly from a blue sky, but neither of them was exactly in a position where they could stop and appreciate the weather: they had a mission and Emma was more than eager to take action.

"Place your hands on mine as before, but this time please note that contact is required," Regina instructed, holding her hands out for Emma, palms facing up.

The blonde responded immediately and both women tried to ignore the gold sparks dancing around their fingertips as their magic rejoiced at the physical connection. Emma briefly considered what sex would be like if their energies reacted like this when they were just touching, before shaking off the errant thought in surprise.

"Now, I'm going to draw on your life force and use your blood bond with Henry to determine his location. This is going to hurt quite a bit, but I'm hoping that the…connection between us, along with your innate magical ability, will allow you to survive the process without too many detrimental effects." She bit her lip and waited, knowing that there were going to be questions about this.

"Survive? You mean this could kill me?" Emma's eyes were wide with fear, but her hands didn't move from their hold on Regina's, which honestly surprised the brunette woman. She'd linked their magic before speaking in the hopes that it would align their energies. Since doing so would make their powers more ready to work together and shield both women from the backlash of casting the spell, but she'd expected the blonde to back away as soon as she mentioned the possible price.

"It's blood magic," she admitted, sighing and wishing she could offer a different answer, one that would be more morally acceptable. "Blood magic comes with a higher price, but it's the only thing powerful enough to do this. There's a reason why I didn't suggest it in Neverland." Even though it had been horribly tempting to just grab Emma and drain her anyway – the blonde may even have agreed to it – but even then, Regina couldn't stomach the thought of killing her. Now, they were so short on time that the brunette wanted to at least suggest the option as a possibility. She watched as Emma considered, staring at their joined hands with a detached sort of wonder as she waited.

"Do it," Emma said finally. "I trust you not to kill me." She said the second part with a weak smile, attempting to inject some levity into a truly dire situation and inevitably failing. The witch's heart skipped a beat regardless, as she heard that statement once again: _I trust you_. She wanted to rail against the blonde for being so foolish, but at the same time she wanted to hold the words in her hands and have them remain true forever. She knew it wouldn't last, however, as Emma would eventually discover a crime she couldn't forgive. Regina had committed many unspeakable acts in her time, after all, so there was no shortage on choice.

"Close your eyes," she said softly, putting all other thoughts aside for now and focusing on the immediate issue. "Focus on trusting me and don't resist – that'll just make it more painful for you." She swallowed back her own doubts and thought of her son instead, calling up her love for him and using that to establish the spell's intention. Once the magic understood the task she was undertaking, she hesitantly began to draw on Emma's life force, hearing the other woman gasp as she felt the pull. Regina ignored the euphoria of being filled with so much energy and instead formed it into a solid shape of intent and directing it to flow through the blonde's veins. The other woman shivered in response but held on, determinedly continuing to give freely of herself even though she had sworn never to do so again after losing it all to Neal. When Regina began pulling the energy back out of her, she understood what the brunette had meant by painful. It felt like she was being suffocated and exsanguinated simultaneously, her limbs weakening and knees buckling as she fell to the ground in front of Regina. The last thing she saw was the witch's eyes lit a bright gold by magic before she passed out.

* * *

To say that Regina was panicking would grossly understate the woman's sheer terror at her current predicament. Her true love was half dead at her feet and the spell had yet to yield an answer, so she may have done it all for nothing. She also couldn't deny how the image would appear to any casual onlookers, since she'd quite clearly hurt Emma and could only hope that any passers-by would give her a chance to explain before they righteously killed her for almost murdering their princess.

She placed the blonde's head in her lap and cradled her face, desperately begging her to wake up and trying to ignore the growing panic as more time passed and the delay in retrieving Henry grew longer and more dangerous.

"Emma, please. Emma?" There was no response to her pleading and she started to get angry. Anger was safer than fear, she found. "Miss Swan, I swear on my _father's grave_ that if you don't open your eyes this instant I will…" She couldn't threaten to destroy everything that the blonde loved, as was her typical response, because that would include Henry. "I will force you to read every Charles Dickens novel consecutively until you dream about the classic fiction you hate so much." There, that would be suitably horrifying for the stubborn woman. Even Regina had to admit that she'd found Dickens a little dry.

"Regina!" Emma jerked awake with a gasp, before her expression turned to one of confusion. "Did you just threaten me with Dickens?" Indeed, she sounded rather worried about this possibility and the brunette allowed herself a small smile of victory, before putting on a mask of wide-eyed innocence.

"Did I, dear?" she asked sweetly. Nobody was fooled.

Emma allowed Regina to help her up, dusting off her trousers as she stood. She still felt slightly faint, but pushed through it. At that moment, Regina's eyes shined with gold light once more and Emma stiffened with anticipation. The brunette's hand still held hers and she could have sworn she felt energy trickling back into her from that connection, especially when the brunette's eyes lit up and the magic seemed to rush into her that little bit faster.

"East," Regina tilted her head as she read the energy. "It's that library again. Thankfully the elevator is broken, so the creature couldn't take our son downstairs and we won't have to pay a visit to Maleficent." A quick exchange of glances and the decision was made. The two women then disappeared in a cloud of purple and gold smoke.

* * *

They arrived at the library in an instant, only to find Henry tied to a chair and surrounded by torn pages from books. The boy had been knocked out, thankfully, and couldn't see the funeral pyre being created for him despite the fact that he was still breathing.

"_Witches_," a voice hissed from behind them, managing to cram an incredible amount of resentment and disgust into that one word. They turned to find the creature from earlier, practically spitting in her fury. She had a face that may once have been beautiful but was now cursed to twist into an eternal expression of anguish, and now that she was closer, Regina noticed that the creature's eyes seemed unable to focus on her.

"Emma, she's blind," she whispered, shoving the blonde behind her despite her protestations and wondering whether she could cast a spell to cover their scents. The creature's eyes looked entirely human, if you ignored the insanity and desperation in her unseeing stare.

"I may not be able to see you, but your stench is unmistakeable darlings. Don't think you can hide from me…" she slunk forward as she spoke, her legs unsteady and movement slow, almost as if it were hurting her. That's when Regina noticed that it wasn't her skin wasn't grey – it just looked that way because it was covered in _ash_. The smell of roasting flesh drifted towards her and her stomach clenched in disgust as she realised that this _thing_ had burned people before and then covered herself in their ashes. She tried to bind the woman with magic, but the creature just laughed.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma spoke up from behind her, sounding genuinely confused. "He's just a boy, he hasn't done anything to hurt you." At this, the ash-covered being turned her head, sniffing the air in the blonde's direction and snarling.

"_My children_ were innocent and still you cast your magic and made me _burn them alive_!" she wailed, her hands trailing over the residue that Emma and Regina now realised must be all that remained of the creature's children. Her hair was caked in the stuff, but a hint of sunset red could be seen among the dark clumps. "Your child will die screaming, just like they did."

"That wasn't us! Listen, what's your name?" The blonde moved around Regina and reached a hand out towards the strange being, hoping that she was human enough to be reasoned with. The creature jerked back as she felt the touch on her arm, slapping it away and shaking in fear. Emma noticed the angry welts on the creature's (_woman's_, the blonde corrected) skin then, recognising them as serious burns that could only be caused by exposure to high temperatures – the woman had clearly tried to save her children from the flames. Both of Henry's mothers felt the same weight in their lower abdomens as they empathised with the sheer desperation this woman must have felt.

"Don't touch me! I know your ways. You think your magic will work on me if you touch me, but it _won't_. Never again!" The creature moved around the two women, throwing more books on the growing pile and humming with delight. While she was distracted, Regina grabbed Emma's hand and attempted to send Henry back to the mansion, but it was ineffective. She kept trying, her fear growing with every attempt and she could feel the panic in the other woman through their connection. "Ohhh, silly witch your magic won't work on him either!" The creature cackled gleefully, enjoying the stench of fear emanating from the pair.

Emma tugged Regina away from Henry and held her arms still so she couldn't cast any more spells. The brunette looked furious, but allowed the other woman to hold her still for now. "But it _did_ work, Regina. The blood magic worked and we found our son." Her eyes widened significantly and the witch's stomach dropped as she realised what she was suggesting.

"No, I can't do that to you again. You wouldn't survive." Regina shook her head firmly, but Emma still looked like she might press the issue. "Emma, please find another way." The blonde let out a long sigh and fidgeted as she watched the mountain of books around her son continue to grow. She had no idea when the crazy woman would decide that the preparations were adequate, so she had to work quickly, but what could she do?

When the answer occurred to her, Emma nearly slapped herself across the face for missing something so obvious. "We don't need magic to work here," she realised. "The bitch may be able to teleport or whatever, but she doesn't seem to have any other powers and I bet I'm stronger than her." Emma's voice grew solid and determined as her plan formed. She turned back to Regina, who was waiting silently for her to continue. "Here's the plan: I distract her and you free Henry."

"That seems awfully simple," Regina commented, raising an eyebrow. Emma just grinned.

"Sometimes the best plans are the uncomplicated ones. Now, be ready to get to him. I don't know what she's done to stop your magic affecting him, but I should be able to give you enough time to get away on foot."

"And how will you escape? I haven't had the chance to teach you to travel by magic," Regina pointed out, worriedly. Emma was touched at the concern, but shoved it aside.

"Oh, please. I'll have that bitch in a jail cell in under an hour and then I'll _skip_ home." She rolled her eyes before remembering something. "Ah, could you summon my handcuffs? They're in my car." Regina got the strangest expression at this request, and looked away as she lifted her palm, revealing a pair of dark purple, furry handcuffs.

"I…I have to know exactly where something is or I can't summon it," Regina said, blushing. Frowning, she cast a quick containment spell over the cuffs and hoped that it would work against the creature's ability to vanish at will.

Emma decided to ask about this kinky revelation later, much later. Possibly never. She just grabbed the offering and took off at a sprint, knocking the creature down as she collided with her at full speed.

Regina ran to Henry as soon as the threat was neutralised, untying him as fast as she could while keeping an eye on the blonde's fight to cuff the creature's hands behind her back. The struggle was short-lived and both women were rather surprised when it ended with the strange woman curling up and openly sobbing. The distraught creature seemed too upset to even attempt an escape.

"Well," Regina began from the top of the mountain of books and torn up pieces of paper. "This is not how I expected my morning to end."

The blonde just continued to stare bemusedly at the ash-covered woman on the floor, wondering what the hell was going on.

* * *

After they'd scolded Henry for disobeying explicit instructions and putting himself in danger, his mothers put him to bed and told him to get some sleep. They had then called the patrol groups Regina had sent out earlier and gave them all updates, assuring everyone that Henry was fine. Instead of asking them to return, however, the brunette insisted that they searched for the Lost Boys. She couldn't be sure that their son's kidnapper had been the only thing to fall through that morning, after all.

After all of these tasks were completed and they had checked on Henry three times to make sure he was, indeed, still in bed and asleep, the two women reconvened in the living room to observe their unwelcome houseguest, who was tied to a chair in the living room since the sheriff's department didn't exist anymore and Regina had wanted to keep a close eye on the woman anyway. The containment spell on the cuffs seemed to be effective against whatever enchantment made the strange woman immune to magic, since it didn't act on her directly but prevented her from vanishing as she had that morning. Regina and Emma sat across from her, watching her tug at the cuffs and sigh quietly in defeat when she realised she was trapped.

"Will you tell us your name now?" Emma began, feeling rather proud of herself for actually asking questions instead of simply killing the woman for abducting her son. Regina gave her an amused glance as if she could hear her thoughts, which just made the blonde wonder whether such a thing was actually possible.

"Lamia," muttered the strange woman.

"Lah-mee-yah?" Emma repeated, sounding out the vowels individually. Lamia managed to look vaguely offended before she remembered where she was and slumped once more. The blonde tried to think of a politically correct way to phrase the next question, but Regina, tired of pussyfooting around, beat her to it.

"What was the name of the witch who forced you to kill your children?" she asked in a blunt tone. Lamia looked positively horrified and was actually surprised into answering.

"Hera," she seethed, eyes narrowing in anger before becoming sorrowful once more. "It's all I can see, over and over, my hands binding them and setting up the fire around them, watching them burn and their faces…" she trailed off with a sob, turning her face away to calm down before carrying on. "She thought it would be funny to curse me with blindness, so I'd have no possible escape from those images."

"I can't heal you," Regina murmured, sounding almost regretful. "A curse like that can only be broken by the witch who cast it or true love's kiss." Lamia just faced away once more, the tears sliding silently down her mangled cheek.

"I had a love once," she whispered. "But he was hers and she took him back. He will burn for an eternity." Her voice shook and her unseeing eyes stared at some point between the two women sitting opposite. "Hera does not take betrayals lightly."

"He was her husband?" Emma questioned, carefully ignoring the images of bodies and flames.

"Not exactly. It would be more accurate to refer to him as her _pet_." The disgust was clear in Lamia's voice and Emma was now assaulted with some incredibly interesting S&M-themed images, although she got the horrible feeling that the relationship between Hera and Lamia's lost love was more along the lines of straight-up abuse. "He's a phoenix, that's why she thought it poetic to turn the flames against him, and against our children. He can never rise if the fire keeps burning and my babies…" She ran her hands over her filthy skin, teardrops making clear patches in the ash. "They did not inherit that particular gift."

Their conversation (_interrogation_) was interrupted when Regina fell out of her chair and onto her knees, clutching at her chest and gasping in apparent pain. Emma was there in an instant, holding her up and allowing the agonised brunette to lean back against her chest. Regina continued to shake for several minutes, which worried the blonde all the more because it had not been like this earlier: the witch was clearly being affected by the arrival of more newcomers, but Emma was quite certain that nobody mentioned it taking so long.

When Regina finally relaxed and became aware of her surroundings once more, she found herself in Emma's arms with her head against the blonde's breasts. She quickly moved away, ignoring the gold sparks dancing along her skin and how her magic begged her to stay in that position. Curled up and out of her true love's reach, Regina had to admit that she felt cold.

Emma tried not to feel hurt by the brunette's apparent rejection of her attempts at comfort, focusing instead on what this meant: there would be yet another battle today and the creatures were arriving more frequently, which could only be a bad thing. She waited quietly for the brunette to speak.

"What happened?" Lamia screeched, her sightless eyes flicking from side to side in a panic. All she'd heard was a thump, followed by pained gasps and a gentle voice speaking with soothing softness. Emma hadn't even realised she'd been speaking.

"It's okay, Lamia, we just have to stop now," Emma replied, still watching Regina for any signs of further discomfort. "Everyone's still out on patrol, so they'll let us know if anything happens." She said this aloud more for Regina's sake than Lamia's, as she still felt the urge to comfort the woman who'd been in such pain only moments ago.

"We're running out of time," the brunette whispered, fearfully. "That's the third time in less than two days and I feared this would happen after your arrival, but…" She hissed as she rose, refusing Emma's help and shakily standing up. Her high heels dug into the soft living room carpet and the blonde couldn't help but wonder how she could wear the torturous things so often, even when battling against fearsome beasts or strutting around for hours with no rest. Emma had to admit, however, that they did make the other woman's legs look _amazing_.

The slam of the front door jerked the blonde from her wondering thoughts and she noticed Regina's attention immediately fixate upon the new arrival. It was Belle, and she looked terrified: her pretty face was flushed with exertion and her breath consisted of short gasps. Her eyes were wide with fear and her hands shook as she wiped them against her blue dress. She hurried into the living room and peered outside worriedly, before addressing her now-captivated audience.

"I was on my way back from Granny's and suddenly there were _wolves_ everywhere. They circled the diner and I almost got away without them noticing, but then the wind changed and some came after me…" she gestured over her shoulder to the window, from which a few wolves could be seen sniffing around the edges of the property. The animals were pawing at the wards in confusion, unable to see what was preventing them from following their prey. Emma was alarmed at their sheer _size_, since the only other wolf she'd seen who was that big was Ruby and she was a…

"Werewolves," Regina ground out. "A whole pack of them. The situation is even more serious than I imagined." The three women watched as the wolves gave up on their chase and loped off towards the diner to re-join their pack mates.

"There's more, Regina," Belle added quietly, obviously reluctant. The former queen tensed, but merely tilted her head towards the other woman enquiringly. Belle sighed and gave her an apologetic look before continuing, since she knew that neither of her companions had gotten much sleep and they'd already endured the ordeal of losing their son again. "The Lost Boys have set up camp in the woods. They don't know they're in danger."

"Well, damn," was all Emma had to say on the matter.

* * *

**END NOTE: I have to admit that the idea of a human-like phoenix was used in Standbackufools' story "Pointed", but I just got a message back from them saying they don't mind me using a similar concept.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: From the Ashes

Regina's sharp eyes scanned the wards, checking for any weaknesses before smoothing her outfit and preparing to leave the mansion.

"Hold up, lady. Where the hell are you going?" Emma reached for the brunette's arm without thinking, setting off gold sparks that made Belle's eyebrows rise in surprise. She'd missed this particular event last time, distracted as she'd been with teaching the younger Lost Boys, who were currently under instructions to not leave the house. Belle made a note to check on them after Regina's plans had been made, since she had a feeling she'd be on research duty once more. It was a relief really, because when she was reading she almost forgot how much she'd lost and instead remembered what it was like to have hope and a purpose again. Every time she looked at Emma and Regina, however, she was reminded of the ache in her heart. Sometimes she would clench her teeth and bite back the urge to comment on their idiocy. Right now, for example, the two women were staring at each other as if the entire world had ceased to exist, only breaking the moment when Regina attempted to shake the blonde off with a hint of irritation. Emma refused to let go and Belle looked on in fascination as the stubborn woman continued to play a dangerous game.

"If those wolves are from the Enchanted Forest, they will remember me," Regina stated firmly.

"So they'll want to kill you even more!" Emma protested, recalling the events in Henry's book. How could it be a good thing for anyone to remember the Evil Queen? Especially since the vast majority of living beings who had encountered her in the Forest were left with rather distasteful memories of her? Regina merely rolled her eyes at this suggestion.

"For the supposed hero of this tale, you are awfully cynical." She shook her head in amusement. "In this case, I would be remembered as their protector. That was the deal I made with the Huntsman and I held up my end, even if he couldn't manage to complete his own task." She looked away then, her jaw clenched. Her nails dug into her palms at her sides and she closed her eyes for a moment, releasing a sigh before erasing all trace of emotion from her face. Belle watched Emma process this information, the cogs turning in her mind practically visible, before her mood dimmed as well.

"Graham? You protected them because Graham asked you to?" The blonde sounded impossibly young as she spoke, the pain so clear in her voice that it struck a familiar chord in Belle's heart. She wanted to comfort the woman, but wasn't sure whether she'd be welcomed.

"There was more than one reason why he was so loyal to me, dear." Regina cleared her throat and headed for the door once more, stopping only when the hand on her arm refused to release its grip.

"I'm coming with you," Emma stated firmly. Regina stared at her for a moment, before taking her hand and leading her down the front path. Belle thought she heard something about 'aligning energies' and 'being ready for an attack', but she knew these were just convenient excuses: Regina was scared for some reason, and was holding onto Emma as if the blonde were about to start running away. She watched the two women cross the protective barriers, the witch stopping briefly to shore up the magical defences before continuing on, and Belle thought about how far they still had to go. She swallowed back the reasons why that was and distracted herself by wondering how long it would take before the blonde realised that she already had everything she needed to be happy. She then concluded that she'd be willing to slap Emma a few times if the blonde decided to be slow on the uptake. She'd give Regina a good talking to as well, if she continued to be an idiot. Belle knew about loving someone with darkness inside of them, but she also knew that it was still worth fighting for.

"Is anyone going to untie me?" An irritated female voice came from behind her, causing her to jump in fright. She turned to face the strange creature who was fidgeting uncomfortably while tied to a chair in the living room, realising that this was Henry's kidnapper and the two mothers had clearly not considered her a threat, or she'd be dead by now. Belle found the mystery far too interesting to ignore, so she settled herself opposite the creature and started asking questions.

* * *

Regina strode towards Granny's diner at her characteristically determined pace, dragging Emma along as the blonde attempted to slow them down and form a backup plan. Just in case the brunette was wrong about the wolves' loyalties. No amount of probing could deter the woman from her set course, however; and Emma quickly despaired of trying to dissuade her. The blonde doubted that a confrontation with a pack of unknown werewolves could ever end well for her, but Regina seemed certain they'd be open to negotiations.

When the two women arrived at their destination, they both took note of Ruby's presence inside the diner. The panicked young werewolf had locked herself inside, clearly not taking any chances even though the wards were still strong from the previous evening. Regina huffed in disdain, but turned instead towards the creeping pack of werewolves who were currently encroaching on her personal space. Their fur ranged in colour from a dusky blonde to jet black and their eyes were equally diverse, but every pair contained obvious focus and intelligence. They were tall enough, even on all fours, to place their heads against her belly or take a bite out of her abdomen – whichever course of action they deemed appropriate.

The wolf leading the group suddenly paused, his large paw lifted just off the ground and nose raised to sniff the air. His head tilted in confusion, as if he scented something unexpected. He abruptly sat down, causing the rest of the pack to halt their forward movements and cast him vaguely inquisitive looks. The alpha's earthy brown fur was disturbed only by the wind for a few moments, before he seemed to make a decision and his coat melted into his skin to reveal dark, naked flesh.

The alpha wolf stood, now on two legs and in his human form. His black hair was raggedly shorn and fell only to his shoulders, but it was his eyes that were truly captivating: they were still the same deep brown that they'd been when he was a wolf and they observed Regina with the same degree of thoughtfulness. Emma fidgeted as the staring contest continued, before gently squeezing the other woman's hand and hoping she'd get the message and start talking.

"Regina!" the man finally exclaimed, suddenly coming forward to embrace the former Evil Queen. The sudden assault caused the brunette to let go of Emma's hand, leaving the blonde to gape in shock as the werewolf hugged the other woman as if she were a dear friend that he hadn't seen in a long time. A pleased grin broke across Regina's face as she wrapped her arms around the alpha in return. She shifted slightly in his hold, unused to the attention, but clearly this had happened before since she didn't feel the need to push him off and start throwing fireballs.

"Akida, it's been some time." She gently pressed her palms against his chest and he took the hint, letting her go. He stepped back, still smiling and made a quick motion to his pack. Emma and Regina were quickly surrounded by naked people, as the werewolves followed their leader's example and morphed into their human forms. The blonde's face froze and she had to restrain the urge to cover her eyes, but Regina remained unruffled by the display. The brunette merely greeted the pack with a genuinely friendly smile and allowed them all to approach her one by one. Each wolf accepted the former queen's presence by placing a hand on her shoulder or arm and nodding, before returning to their place in the pack. Emma was mostly ignored, apart from a few curious glances.

"You did leave the Enchanted Forest some time ago, my queen," Akida murmured. His head tilted in enquiry, but he did not voice the question despite his clear desire to do so. Regina sighed, holding his gaze and stiffening her shoulders, before answering the unvoiced query.

"I couldn't stay in that land any longer and I am truly sorry for that, my friend. I have missed your counsel and have made some unwise decisions in your absence." He nodded in acceptance of her vague reply, but she knew he would be quizzing her later when they were away from the prying eyes of his pack. She stepped back and indicated her blonde companion, drawing the pack's attention to the other woman. "This is Emma Swan, the Saviour." Her grin was wicked as she enjoyed the blonde's horror at being described in such a way. The pack just stared at the so-called Saviour in confusion.

"Saviour? Of whom?" Akida asked, regarding Emma with interest. He noticed how close the two women were and how their scents were as entwined as their fingers had been when he'd first seen them. Werewolves had their own beliefs about true mates and he was fascinated by the woman who had captured his queen's attention so completely.

Regina's stomach dropped as she considered the phrasing Akida had used in his question. He'd asked her _who_ Emma was meant to save, not what. She found herself staring at the blonde in realisation, but quickly cleared her throat and banished such thoughts from her head. "I cast a curse, Akida, and I paid dearly for it. Emma was fated to break that curse and save the people of this town from the lives I had trapped them in." Her voice broke somewhere in the middle of that sentence and she barely got out the rest. She avoided her old friend's gaze and allowed her shoulders to slump as she waited for his response. She barely noticed Emma taking her hand once more and she didn't look up in time to see the fierce glare the blonde was aiming at the werewolf pack.

"It seems that we have much to discuss, your majesty," the alpha finally said. His expression was reserved, but his eyes watched the former queen carefully. "I believe we have more pressing issues to discuss at this time, do we not?"

"Yes, I believe you are correct." Regina locked eyes with each werewolf in turn, trying to communicate a sense of calmness and trust before she explained the situation.

It took some time and Emma resisted the urge to sit down as the brunette spoke – it had been a long night and the lack of sleep was catching up with her. The sun had already passed through its noontime peak, passing into the western sky as the afternoon began. She worried about her son, back at the house and she itched to get to the Lost Boys before they could get themselves into any more trouble. She'd been impressed by the fact that Regina had handled them so well in her absence, considering how willing the brunette had been to torture the boys in Neverland. Emma observed Regina's earnest explanations to the attentive werewolf pack, paying attention to each movement of the other woman's hands as she emphasised a point and admiring the eloquent way in which she spoke. It was interesting to see the former Evil Queen interact with people she'd evidently been on good terms with during her reign in the Enchanted Forest – she never thought she'd see the day she wouldn't have to defend Regina from the vitriol of those who still hated her for her past crimes. The blonde understood that the other woman had carried out many unspeakable acts, but surely she couldn't have been as cruel as she was made out to be? The vindictive monarch she'd heard tales of seemed a far cry from the vulnerable woman who had raised their son.

"And you still don't know who's behind all of this?" Akida's curious voice spoke up, silencing the pack that had become agitated during their queen's speech. Regina merely responded to the question by wearing a slightly guilty expression – she didn't want to admit that she found the puzzle endlessly frustrating, since it would be painful to reveal her ignorance to the most trusted of her old advisors. The past three decades had been kind to the alpha, adding only a few wrinkles to his face and deepening the wisdom in his eyes. "That's unfortunate, my queen, as I was hoping you would be able to help us either return to the rest of our pack or perhaps bring them through to this land." His expression was only mildly hopeful, but he was still visibly disappointed when Regina regretfully shook her head.

"Wait, there's more of you?" Emma, drawn from her thoughts by Akida's speech, counted the number of wolves present: there were ten. Surely that was enough for a pack? Akida merely raised an eyebrow at her, unimpressed with her assumptions.

"There are eighteen wolves in my pack. We are a family and it is unpleasant for us to be separated, which is why we reacted negatively upon arrival. I apologise for that, your majesty." He lowered his head in a gesture of supplication before his queen, before raising his head once more and continuing. "A portal took away some of our younger members and the rest of us rushed to follow, but I assume the _crack_, as you call it, closed before all of us could enter. I am simply grateful that we were not further separated." A shiver went through the pack at this statement, as they all considered the very real possibility that they could have been split randomly across. It was still possible that the remainder of their pack had entered the portal but had been sent somewhere else – they could only hope that the final eight wolves were still together.

Regina clenched her free hand as she considered the situation. "I have only three safehouses set up currently and they are all at capacity," she murmured, almost to herself. Her sharp gaze assessed her surroundings, falling on the building next to Granny's: it was just as large and was fully equipped for modern living. It would be big enough for the wolves, but she knew she'd have to send someone over to help them learn how to operate the more complicated kitchen appliances. She'd send Granny over, she mused, as subtle punishment for betraying her by encouraging the Lost Boys' rebellion. "I need to set up wards to protect you from any less pleasant visitors to this realm, so I'd like to respectfully suggest that you make this house your home until I am able to return you to the rest of your family." She worded the request carefully, since building a den was incredibly important in these werewolves' culture and the decision could only be taken by the alpha. If she appeared to make the choice for him, there'd be hell to pay.

Akida regarded the house thoughtfully, seemingly not insulted by her suggestion. He'd never seen such a building before, since most people lived in small huts or simple cottages in the Enchanted Forest. In contrast to those structures, Regina's offer was very generous and he nodded his acceptance. Regina sighed in relief and tugged on Emma's hand, leading her over to the house. She couldn't believe how long they'd maintained the contact for, but now the occupied hand was far warmer than her free one which remained exposed to the chilly April air. The gold sparks induced by their contact had settled into the occasional bright shimmer, instead of the full-on scattering of light it had been when they'd first entwined their fingers. Fortunately, nobody from the pack had asked about it yet.

"I need you to help me build the wards," Regina said.

Emma stared at her, wondering how the hell you went about doing that.

The brunette just laughed at her expression and held her free hand up so her palm faced towards the building. "You'll be fine, dear. Close your eyes and place your hand like this." Emma did so and Regina nodded to herself, before turning once more to the place she wanted to protect. "Now, building magical barriers is just like building any other kind of wall: you start with the foundations. These are roots that tie your magic to the earth and state your intent, which is to defend others. That's not an unfamiliar sensation for you, so I want you to focus on that emotion and visualise the base of the wall extending into the ground." She heard the blonde shuffle slightly beside her, disturbing the position of their joined hands before settling into a new stance. Regina felt it when the magic began its work, and she felt that exhilaration once more as she combined her magic with her true love's own energy. She shivered at the thought of ever losing this again, but stubbornly pushed the distracting concerns out of her mind. She would deal with the future when it arrived. "As soon as the foundations are complete, you begin to add layers to the wall, except these are layers of protection and magic instead of bricks and mortar." Regina distantly registered Emma's hand squeezing her own as a gesture of comprehension, before once again turning her full attention to the barrier. The task was completed in far less time than it took for the brunette to finish it by herself and she felt a rush of relief as she noted that the depletion of her own life force was far less significant than usual. She gently encouraged the blonde to let go and caught the other when her knees buckled.

"Wow," Emma breathed. Her whole body was shaking and the sensations running through her were impossible to process. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself gazing up at Regina, who looked back with amused fondness. The blonde then registered the arms supporting her and who they belonged to – a realisation which resulted in a faint blush spreading across her lightly tanned skin. Removing herself from the awkward situation, she turned to see how the werewolves had reacted to their display.

Akida was even more intrigued by the queen's companion now. It had been decades since he'd last seen such powerful magic or such effortless synchronicity, and he'd certainly never seen the gold light that still flickered wherever the two women were connected. He'd noticed it upon arrival, of course, but didn't see it as relevant to his situation and thus decreed it none of his business. He still didn't think he had any right to ask about it, but it was certainly something to keep an eye on.

"If you're satisfied, Akida, Emma and I must take our leave. There are many matters which require our attention today." Regina was polite, but her tone indicated the urgency of their need to depart. They had yet to find the Lost Boys and it was possible that more creatures may arrive over the next few hours. She had to reason with the rebellious teenagers before any real damage was done. Thankfully the alpha nodded his acceptance and the pack approached both women with gentle touches of goodbye and thanks.

* * *

Two minutes later, Regina and Emma were engaged in a silent stand-off with Ruby, who stared at them with wide eyes. The young werewolf had expected Regina to incinerate the entire pack of outsiders with a dismissive wave of her hand, but instead she'd found herself watching a peaceful conversation followed by the most amazing work of magic that she'd ever seen. Belle had become a frequent visitor since the curse failed and the other brunette kept her updated on the former queen's progress, but she hadn't truly believed that the woman had changed until now. She still felt guilty about her accusations over Archie's apparent death, but who could blame her? She recalled the deaths of hundreds of people, caused solely by the woman in front of her as the Evil Queen pursued Snow White across the kingdoms. When the Lost Boys had rebelled she'd been afraid for them, but she was unsurprised – she'd actually been more amazed by the fact that it had taken them so long.

"So, Red," Regina began in a neutral tone. Her gaze was harsh and her stance was firm and unyielding. Emma stood beside her, merely watching the former queen conquer the will of yet another subject. "Care to tell us where the Lost Boys have hidden themselves? I should think that with the arrival of so many creatures at once and the abduction of my son this morning, you'd understand the dangers of their current situation." Her voice was icy, like the unforgiving ground in winter: one wrong move and you'd regret it.

Ruby straightened, flicking her hair over her shoulder and returning Regina's glare with her own. She had never been afraid of challenging difficult odds and she would not bend to Regina's will so easily. She'd made a promise to the Lost Boys when she'd left for the diner: she'd sworn on her mother's grave that she'd never betray their location to the Evil Queen. At least, she wouldn't do so of her own free will, but she couldn't help glancing at Regina's hands and wondering whether one was about to plunge itself into her chest wrap cold fingers around her heart.

"Ruby," Emma murmured, seeing the stubborn resistance. "Henry was nearly burned alive this morning." Ruby's eyes widened slightly – Belle hadn't told her that part, but then again, the other woman may not have been aware of that particular detail. The ex-librarian had called her that morning, frantic with worry and waking Ruby with an unpleasant start. She'd begged her and Granny to track Henry and they had immediately put aside their own issues with the boy's brunette mother and begun tracking. After an hour, they'd traced the boys scent around the diner and followed it towards Regina's mansion, only to receive another call from Belle, this time full of relief and asking to meet at the diner. She'd agreed and told the boys that she'd bring back food when she returned. Everything had been fine until the other woman had tried to leave and was suddenly surrounded by werewolves. Ruby had been distracting them by stepping outside the wards and allowing the foreign wolves to catch her scent. The wolves were offended by the presence of a non-pack werewolf, as expected, and most of the pack remained to scare her back inside. Only a few continued to chase Belle.

"I didn't know he…but he's fine, right? Belle said he was at home?" Ruby's aggressive posture softened as she spoke of Henry. He'd been the darling of the town ever since Regina brought him home and not even the return of her true memories of his mother had changed that.

Emma noticed the change and stepped closer, assuring Regina with a soft touch to her shoulder as she moved forward. "He's okay, but if Regina and I hadn't got there when we did? He'd be ashes. You cannot protect yourselves from everything, Ruby, much as those boys would like to believe otherwise." Her eyes were earnest and beseeching, just as they had been when she'd convinced the Lost Boys to return to Storybrooke with her. She'd promised them a family then and that was a promise she'd failed to keep, but she hoped she could change that now. "Please, Rubes. Help us bring the boys home."

The long-haired brunette considered her for a few moments, before sighing. "Fine, I will take you take you to their camp. Just _you_, though. They'd likely shoot Regina on sight." She shook her head. "Hell, they'd shoot me as well, just for bringing her." The former queen shot her another venomous look, which was met only by a shrug and a what-can-you-do smile. The unrepentant spark in her eyes, however, informed everyone present that she was completely okay with the fact that she'd just foiled the former queen's plans.

Emma grinned in relief at the compromise before turning and grabbing Regina's arm. She dragged her affronted companion to a more private space near the door and gave her a determined look, interrupting Regina's attempt to argue and putting an irritated expression on the brunette's face. "I know this wasn't what you wanted, Regina, but if I can convince those boys to come back we all win, right?" Emma waited for the other woman's reluctant nod before continuing. "Besides, I'm sure you'd like the opportunity to catch up with your werewolf friends? And check in on Henry? I doubt he'll sleep for too long and I…I worry that he'll have nightmares about today." The two mothers shared a moment of concern for their son, before Regina nodded again, more firmly this time.

Regina's shoulders slumped as she turned to inform Ruby of their revised plan, barely getting the words out through gritted teeth. Her hands curled into fists as the other woman took visible delight in her small victory, but she forced herself to relax and not show how distressed she was at not being able to visit _her_ boys and see to their well-being herself. The betrayal still weighed heavy in her stomach, nauseating and painful. It was also difficult to leave Emma alone, since the blonde was still so new to using magic and Regina couldn't be sure that she'd be able to protect herself should something happen. The brunette could only hope that their connection would enable her to find the other woman if necessary.

Emma grabbed Regina's hand as she was leaving, squeezing and creating gold sparks which did not distract her from her task of communicating as much comfort and reassurance to the other woman as possible. "I'll bring them home to you." Emma's words were strong and certain and Regina could only incline her head in acknowledgement before continuing her journey out the door. The blonde watched her leave and didn't move until she was out of sight.

"So, Emma, what's with the lovesick looks and weird magic crap? Belle said something about you being Regina's true love, but I was pretty sure you were the last person on earth who'd even think of returning the sentiment." Ruby's eyes narrowed at the blonde as the other woman jerked herself out of her thoughts.

"I'm not sure. Can we leave it for now? I really want to get those kids home before they get themselves killed by harpies or something." Emma stared the wary woman down until she rolled her eyes and grabbed a basket of food from behind the counter before leading the way out of the diner.

* * *

Trudging through the wild forests that surrounded Storybrooke was not Emma's ideal way of spending an afternoon, but she at least spared a moment of gratitude for the fact that she'd worn her better walking boots that morning. She made a mental note to move the rest of her stuff over from Snow's apartment and wondered if this counted as _moving in_ with Regina. It couldn't possibly be interpreted that way, could it? There were so many people currently living in the mansion that she decided that it was safe enough to move in without any weird assumptions being made about her relationship with her son's other mother. Then again, she considered as she shoved a branch out of her path, she supposed it would still look odd if she spent any more nights in Regina's bed. Nobody seemed to have noticed this time, however.

"It's just through here," Ruby called from her place in front. The brunette moved through the forest with such ease that it made Emma hiss in irritation. Where the roots seemed to be intent on tripping the blonde up, they always seemed to be in a perfect position for the other woman to step over neatly. It was infuriating and Emma seemed to only gather more cuts and scrapes as she angrily batted more plants out of her face. She tried to cheer herself up by remembering how much Regina had hated wandering through the jungles of Neverland – the woman never seemed to run out of snarky comments and Emma had particularly enjoyed the offended looks Regina shot at any branch that dared to obstruct her course. Emma smiled slightly to herself as she imagined the leaves curling under the former queen's glare and she felt a sudden sharp pang at the other woman's absence. She placed her hand over her stomach, frowning at the unexpected sensation and wondering how she'd gotten so attached to Regina's company so quickly. Less than two days had passed since her return and yet it was already beginning to feel as though she'd never left.

She was drawn away from her musings by the sound of laughter and loud voices, which increased in volume as she approached the camp. Finally, the trees gave way to a clearing which was currently filled with all fifteen rebellious teenagers and Granny, who had a loaded crossbow in her lap and an easy smile on her face as she spoke to a few enthusiastic boys. As Emma drew closer, she realised that they were discussing fights that the old woman had won in the past – some of which were apparently hilarious.

Silence fell abruptly as the camp's occupants registered the presence of their uninvited guest and Ruby took the opportunity to place her overflowing basket next to Granny. Nobody spoke for several moments, but then Kyle stood up and folded his arms, eyeing the blonde from head to toe as if assessing the threat she posed. "You're not welcome here, _Saviour_," he ground out, using her title as if it were the worst insult he could think of. His glare moved to Ruby. "And you _swore_ that you wouldn't reveal our location."

"Actually, I only promised that I wouldn't tell the _Evil Queen_ where you were. I think you'll find that I kept my word." Ruby's chin lifted in defiance and her eyes flashed as she refused to be intimidated by the lanky boy. Kyle grit his teeth in irritation but couldn't deny her statement.

"Look, kid-"

"My name is Kyle and I think you'll find that I have lived far longer than you, little lost girl." His glare was fierce and the insult hit that particular wound like a dart, but Emma was used to far worse from Regina so she just shrugged off the interruption.

"Kyle, listen to me. A pack of werewolves arrived in town just two hours ago and Henry was kidnapped by a crazy lady just this morning. He was only outside the wards because he was trying to find _you_." Some of the younger boys had the grace to look slightly uncomfortable at these revelations, but Kyle's jaw was set and his eyes were hard. Emma sighed in response, before continuing to present her case. "What I'm trying to say is that enemies are arriving more often than before, and believe me when I say that the number of wolves that managed to get through the latest portal does not give me much faith in your chances. There were_ ten_ of them, kid – I mean, Kyle – and that figure's just gonna go up. How do you plan to fight the next bunch of magical creatures that come at you? What if there's twenty of them and they just keep coming? Sure, you may have taken down a couple of humans before but these things could be immortal. The Gorgons Regina and I dealt with were and we only won because we transfigured them into something harmless!" The boys grew more agitated over the course of her speech, sending nervous looks at their leader and Granny. The old woman's face began to lose its appearance of conviction as doubt leaked into her widening eyes. Even Kyle began to look slightly uncertain, but he quickly replaced his mask before any of his brothers noticed.

Emma decided to take a different approach, since scaring them into submission wasn't actually her favoured method of dealing with kids – and that's what they were, really, just children who'd lived too long, stuck in the same mentality as their minds refused to grow and their bodies remained the same. She abruptly lowered herself into a seated position, crossing her legs and making a show of settling in. Pushing her hair back over her shoulders, she took advantage of the quiet and paid attention to each boy in turn. She chose one at random, locking eyes with him before speaking. "What's your name?" He looked around, as if to make sure it was really him she was talking to, even going so far as to point at himself and mouth 'me?'. Emma grinned and nodded encouragingly in response. She recognised his slightly curly brown hair, big eyes and a nose that was slightly too big for his face: he'd been the first to break his silence and tell her where Pan was.

"My name is Aiden," he said finally, earning a glare from Kyle who still stood over Emma as if the position of power would actually allow him to retain control over the situation. Aiden shifted in response the older boy's disapproval, but kept his eyes on Emma. He remembered the promises she'd made in Neverland and how desperately earnest her voice had been, that was why he honestly believed that the woman would have stayed true to her word, were it not for the events that followed. He still felt some measure of guilt over his role in Pan's attempt to steal Henry's heart, especially now that he knew it was purely for selfish reasons. Emma owed him no favours – in fact, she could easily have demanded punishments for him or any of his brothers at any time – and yet she had tried to give them a home and family instead. It was not her fault that everything had gone so badly, so he could not justify holding it against her and he knew he was not the only one to feel that way. Some of the boys had been less than enthused by the idea of leaving Regina, since she'd truly taken them under her wing and looked after them to the best of her ability. It was the older boys that felt condescended to and smothered, and it was they who led the mutiny and left the younger boys no choice but to follow – they were still family after all.

"Aiden, you know my only goal is to keep you alive, right?" The boy nodded slowly and Emma shifted her focus to include the rest of the seated group. "So I'll ask you all once again: will you come back with me and stay within the protective wards? I swear to you that I will fix this, but you lot being out here, completely open to attack and unprepared for the kind of battles you'd have to fight to survive against these invaders? That's slowing me down. I can't leave you like this, so either you come with me or I call Regina and we stay here with you." Kyle's face twisted at the mention of Regina and Emma tried to understand what his problem was, since there was clearly more to it than she'd first thought. She stood up and backed off then, allowing the boys the privacy they needed to make a decision while she took stock of her surroundings and checked for any unexpected movements in the trees that grew at the edges of the clearing.

Finally, a hush descended once more and the blonde made her way to the front of the group, motioning for them all to stand. "Who's coming back with me, then?" She watched them expectantly and slowly relaxed as one by one, every boy except Kyle joined her, forming a group behind her and turning to stare down their former leader. Kyle's expression grew more disgusted as his brothers left his side and when he finally stood alone, he simply glared at Emma and spun on his heel, before marching in the opposite direction. The blonde had anticipated this response and motioned for Granny and Ruby to stay with the rest of the boys while she chased the stubborn kid into the forest.

She almost ran into him moments later. They were only a few hundred metres away from the camp, still close enough to hear conversation start up again in the grassy clearing. Kyle's back was stiff and the tendons of his neck and arms stood out. He had all the hallmarks of a boy who had shot up too quickly, all skinny limbs and uncoordinated movement. His hair still hinted at youthful blondness, but it was fading into a dark reddish brown as time went by, it had also grown longer and more ragged since she'd met the boy in Neverland. He'd been the second one to speak about Pan's whereabouts, which was why she'd been so surprised when she found out that he was the one to kick start the rebellion.

After a few minutes passed in silence, Kyle rolled his shoulders and purposefully released the tension in his body but still refused to turn around. "She knows all my secrets." His voice was low and quiet, almost a whisper. Emma stayed still and quiet, simply waiting. "She seemed fine with all of it, but lately she's been so distant and she stopped coming to our meetings and I thought…" He released a breath that ended in what sounded like a sob. Emma's eyes widened slightly as she recognised the start of an emotional conversation and she had to resist the urge to start running. Her muscles contracted in preparation, but she firmly told her feet to remain where they were: this boy needed her to stay and she'd likely never get another chance to reach him. When his breathing continued to consist of short pants and it became clear that he couldn't continue, Emma placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and tugged him towards her. He turned and practically collapsed against her, winding long arms around her back and burying his face in her neck. She felt his tears but said nothing – she was familiar with this particular feeling.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. She's been so caught up in trying to get me back and keep the town together, I guess she forgot. That doesn't mean she doesn't love you." It felt weird to be saying these words, especially since nobody had spared the time to tell her anything like this when she was younger and had desperately needed to hear it. She waited until the boy quieted and looked away when he lifted his head to dry his eyes.

"Thanks," he muttered, glancing around and carefully not looking at her. His limbs shuffled awkwardly as he moved away, but his eyes quickly shot up as something else occurred to him. "You won't tell anyone, will you? And you'll make sure she keeps my secrets?" Emma was confused by the second request but nodded her agreement anyway.

"Of course I will. As far as I'm concerned, we had an explosive argument and you only gave in after several minutes of truly inspired comebacks." She grinned at him and he smiled weakly back. "You'll come home now, right?" He just rolled his eyes at that and started back towards camp, snapping plants with slender fingers whenever they tried to block his path. Emma allowed herself a small smile of relief and her eyes lit as she anticipated Regina's joyful reaction to having all her boys home.

* * *

Granny, Ruby, Emma and the Lost Boys chattered happily amongst themselves as they forced their way through the overgrown wilderness, all except for Kyle who brought up the rear with a downcast expression. Emma stayed near the back of the group so she could check that he was still present without being too obvious, but she mostly passed the time by talking to Aiden and some of the other younger boys, all of whom had apologised for running away and expressed their gratitude for the blonde's success at getting them out of Neverland.

Emma was released a long sigh of relief as soon as the boys were within the mansion's wards. She waved goodbye to Ruby and Granny, knowing that Regina would be giving the old woman a serious talk about putting certain people in danger and taking unnecessary risks with their lives. The blonde decided that she might enjoy watching that particular conversation and resolved to find out when it would be so she could _unintentionally_ be there to witness it. Distracted by her thoughts and grinning to herself, she almost missed Regina's speedy descent from the first floor landing. The happiness on the brunette's face was impossible to ignore, however, and she watched as each boy awkwardly accepted a hug from the woman. They all tried to maintain an irritated façade as she unabashedly wrapped her arms around each of them, but they inevitably failed by closing their eyes in contentment or even letting out a tear or two.

When Regina reached Kyle, she paused and gazed at the boy, noting his inability to look at anything other than his scuffed shoes. He stuffed his filthy hands in his pockets and hung his head, expecting anger. He almost fell over when she pulled him into an unexpected embrace, both participants scrunching up their face as they tried not to embarrass themselves in front of their audience. When she released him, she smiled slowly and tapped his nose with her finger, causing him to wrinkle it with mock distaste. Her expression then became serious. "You know we'll have to talk about this, Kyle. Come to my study after dinner, please?" Her voice was kind but it still evoked a nervous response from the boy, who nodded and quickly removed himself from the situation.

The boys stood awkwardly for a while until Emma got tired of the silence. "Go on. All of you go wash up or we'll be cleaning up after you rugrats until doomsday!" The group quickly dispersed: most going upstairs, while some headed for the kitchen or the basement. Regina stared after them with relieved fondness until they disappeared from sight and Emma just watched, a smile forming on her lips as she wondered how long it would take the other woman to realise that she was covered in leaves and mud from the woods. Her smile faded when Regina's eyes shot wide open and her hands flew to her chest, clutching at her heart as she fell to the floor.

"Regina!" She dropped to her knees immediately, remembering to keep her voice down so the boys wouldn't hear and rush back only to see their mother figure collapsed on the floor. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she almost ignored it, before remembering the patrol groups the other woman had set up earlier. "Talk fast," she hissed quietly as soon as she accepted the call.

"We've got trouble, love." Hook's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Harpies."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Wing, Tooth and Claw

Emma ascertained the harpies' whereabouts and told the groups to stay within the nearest set of wards (Granny's diner, naturally) until she and Regina arrived. She didn't mention the fact that the woman in question was currently passed out in her lap, but the tense silence after she issued the instructions was telling. Thankfully, Hook didn't ask about the brunette – he just murmured an agreement and hung up.

Belle rushed out of the living room to find Emma at the bottom of the spiral staircase, with the former queen's head cradled in her lap and a tightness in the skin around her eyes. The young brunette's heart felt heavy in her chest at the sight, but she wasn't entirely surprised at Regina's current state: the woman was running on a night without sleep and she'd been using far too much magic. Belle knelt down next to the pair, reaching a hand out to check Regina's pulse in her neck and sighing with relief when she found it. The unconscious woman's heart was beating strong and steady, but this didn't seem to be much of a comfort to the panicked blonde holding her.

"We have to go, Regina," Emma whispered, squeezing the brunette's hand and searching her face with wide eyes. "There's harpies and you know the guys are just going to try to take them on alone if we don't get there soon." At this, the woman released a groan and her eyes shifted under the lids as she slowly began to wake up. Belle took this opportunity to speak.

"I've read about harpies, Emma," she began, raising a worried gaze to fix on Emma. "They're vicious creatures: they'll swoop down and try to remove your head from your shoulders. If you want to fight them, you'll have to be at their level."

"What, like flying?" Emma didn't look away from Regina as she spoke, but her forehead creased in thought. "Is there a spell for that?" Belle cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows as if the blonde had missed something terribly obvious, but shook her head upon realising that Emma wasn't even paying attention.

"If I recall correctly, Regina brought home a flying horse just yesterday. Pegasus, I believe?" Belle cast her eyes towards the back of the house pointedly. "He's still in the garden." At this, the blonde's entire body froze and her grip tightened around the still unconscious woman. She slowly lifted wide eyes to meet Belle's curious gaze. Regina moaned once more and shifted in Emma's arms, instinctively trying to get closer and causing a blush to spread across the blonde's cheeks.

"I can't ride a horse," Emma hissed, glancing down as if she was afraid Regina would wake up just at that moment to supply a snarky comment about her "peasant" upbringing. Belle just stood and folded her arms across her chest.

"You'll figure something out, Saviour." She grinned disarmingly at the blonde, nothing but faith in her eyes, before making her way towards the kitchen. "Water for the queen, I think."

Alone with Regina once more, Emma gazed down at the woman who was apparently fated to love her. It still seemed unfair for someone's choice to be taken away, even if it was by destiny. She'd been back for only two days and in that time she had battled Gorgons, rescued her son from a possibly insane lady, negotiated with the Lost Boys and built protection wards for a bunch of werewolves. There had been so little time to slow down and think about the consequences of being tied to this woman in such a permanent way, even if Regina claimed that Emma still had a choice about who to love. It wasn't a choice really, it was whether she could live with the decision she'd already made.

Regina became aware of two things at once: the warmth of the arms around her and the scent of something familiar and comforting. She jerked awake when she realised that both belonged to Emma. The muscles in her abdomen tensed and she quickly pulled herself out of the embrace, standing up and wrapping her hands around her middle.

"I assume you know where we need to be and what we'll be fighting?" Regina ran her hands over her hair, smoothing it out and pushing it off her face. She raised her eyebrows in question and shifted her weight subtly, feeling strangely anxious. "Of course, I doubt you'll be of much use in planning a counterattack considering how little you know of magic and otherworldly creatures." She spoke the words quickly, attempting to sound offhanded and casual.

"Wow, back to insulting me already?" Emma stood and frowned at Regina, tilting her head and trying to capture the other woman's gaze. She sighed when her efforts were unsuccessful, but decided to ignore whatever had freaked the brunette out for now. She wished once more that they had more time to stop and talk about the growing number of questions building in her head, but surrendered to the need for immediate defensive action against the new invasion. "Harpies just appeared in the sky over where the library used to be. Belle recommends that we ride Pegasus instead of attacking from the ground."

Regina's lips pursed and a frown appeared on her face as she gazed contemplatively at a random spot on the wall, her eyes flickering back and forth as she considered their options. After a few minutes, she released a breath and finally returned Emma's impatient stare. "Have you ever ridden a horse, Ms. Swan?"

Emma's jaw clenched at the formal use of her last name and the condescending tone. The other woman clearly already knew the answer and had likely only asked because she enjoyed watching the blonde squirm. "Of course not," Emma replied through gritted teeth. "But I think I can handle holding onto you and not falling off." Her eyes brightened at the suggestion and she grinned, knowing that the idea would disrupt the brunette's suddenly superior attitude.

Regina blinked once as she conjured that image in her mind. It was, of course, the only way that this would work: the infuriatingly smug blonde would have to sit behind her and she wouldn't be able to get away as easily as she just had. She'd have to keep her magic under control and pretend that she wasn't affected by the contact.

"Ah, I see you've returned to us. Do me a favour and drink something before fighting any more beasts today, please?" Belle strolled into the hall and shoved a bottle of water into each woman's hands, before clasping her own hands together and waiting expectantly. She looked from one woman to another, sensing the tension in the air and resisting the urge to comment.

The bottles were emptied quickly and both Emma and Regina carefully ignored the thickness in the air between them. They headed out into the back garden, blinking in the late afternoon sunlight and swiftly making their way over to the practical stables. Pegasus' head poked out of the stable door as he registered their approach, ears twitching back and forth and nostrils flaring in their direction. Emma paused in her progress and allowed Regina to continue on alone, watching with soft eyes as the brunette walked slowly towards the animal with her hand stretched out in front of her, open palm facing up in greeting.

Regina kept eye contact with Pegasus as she drew closer to him, knowing that he was an intelligent creature who would not take kindly to sudden movements or assumptions. He tilted his head at her slightly, not protesting her growing proximity and when she was finally close enough to offer her hand he contentedly blew a hot breath over it, nudging it with his rough muzzle and turning away with a snort of disappointment when he realised that she hadn't brought him any food. Regina simply smiled at this before gesturing with her hand and producing an apple. Pegasus accepted this gift by taking a huge bite and slobbering all over her.

Regina took her time with the winged horse, allowing him to eat the apple and get used to her presence before unlocking the bottom half of the stable door and guiding him gently out. She created a rope with another wave of her hands and showed it to him, receiving another hot breath across her fingers before he dismissed the new object. She tied it around his neck with minimal fuss, releasing a quiet sigh of relief when Pegasus continued to be at ease with the situation.

Belle came out of the dining room at that point, carrying a chair and moving with purpose. She wordlessly placed the piece of furniture close to Regina and the horse, before backing away and placing a warm hand on Emma's arm. She offered the blonde a small smile of encouragement before turning to observe Regina, who was leading the horse over to the chair and using it to help her climb onto the tall animal's back. Once seated comfortably just behind the horse's neck and in front of the wing joint, she proceeded to tie the rope around her waist using the strongest knot she could think of. She added magical strength to the knot as an afterthought.

Emma jammed her hands into her back pockets and closed her eyes, trying to calm the jumble of nerves bouncing around her stomach. She shook her head once and determinedly strode over to the winged horse and his tight-lipped rider. She climbed carefully over his left wing, settling her knees behind the wing joint and leaning forward to wrap her arms around Regina's waist a little too tightly. She screwed her eyes shut as the horse began to move forward and buried her face in the other woman's neck when his wings started to move.

* * *

Five minutes later, they could hear screeching and Regina was at least fifty percent sure that Emma was trying to kill her by applying too much pressure on her internal organs. She would definitely need to check for damage to her ribcage later, but for now she blinked quickly against the wind and turned sharply towards the noise. Locating the harpies coincided, unsurprisingly, with the discovery that Neal, Hook and Tink had indeed decided to take on the winged bird-women by themselves. Regina rolled her eyes at their idiocy and leaned over Pegasus' neck so she could politely request that he land. His ears twitched as he heard her voice and his head dropped as his wings gradually directed their descent. The grip around Regina's waist became even more constrictive and the brunette had to restrain herself from slapping the blonde's hands away.

"Dear, if you could allow me to breathe it would be highly appreciated." There was an edge to Regina's tone that Emma responded to instinctively, loosening her embrace slightly. Her muscles, however, remained taut and inflexible, causing her body to vibrate. Her face was still attempting to hide in the gap between the brunette's shoulder and neck and she was breathing just a little too quickly, blowing gusts of hot, wet air onto Regina's exposed flesh and causing goosebumps to spread across her tanned skin. Even when Pegasus' hooves stood firmly on the ground once more, Emma remained in this position, not quite willing to believe that the ordeal was over. She'd ridden a horse for the first time and it hadn't even had the decency to be a normal one – no, it had to _fly_. The blonde was fine with flying in planes, but being a so high up and on the back of a mythical creature with only Regina to hold onto? That was _insane_.

"Emma, if you would let go of me, please? We do not have time for this," Regina hissed quietly, keeping her eyes on the sky and tracking the harpies' movements. She felt Emma finally let go and slide off the horse, making her whole body feel ten degrees cooler. She shivered at the absence of the blonde's warmth, but she was determined to ignore it. She removed the rope, dismounted gracefully and thanked Pegasus for his service, asking that he stay where he was for the time being. It was strange to talk to the animal this way, but he seemed to understand her instructions and remained still as she and Emma walked quickly towards the chaos surrounding their friends.

"Hah! You missed!" Hook gleefully called out as he narrowly avoided a harpy's claws. She screeched in fury, but that only made him grin wider. He ran in random zig-zag patterns, attempting to distract the airborne villains long enough for Tinkerbell to attempt her plan. Hook wasn't entirely sure whether she'd be successful, but he had agreed that it was worth a shot. He didn't notice Pegasus arrive, as his gaze was focused on the shadows around his feet, determining where the enemies were and making sure he didn't trip as he ran.

Tink was currently sitting in a tree on the other side of the road, wings out and waiting for a harpy to come close enough for her to be able to hit them with pixie dust. She had very little left, so it was important to get the timing exactly right. When Regina and Emma entered the fray, she sagged slightly in relief but kept her position, knowing that the two women may need her if their own plan didn't work out.

Neal had been hiding behind a pile of furniture that the group had stolen from the diner, occasionally throwing rocks or bits of wood at the harpies in an attempt to damage them enough to force them down. He was running out of rocks. He was also running low on creative insults, much to his dismay, so he was forced to yell random combinations of rude phrases like some kind of derogatory word salad.

"Hey, guys, didn't I tell you to stay inside the wards?" Emma didn't bother sounding surprised, but enjoyed the looks of guilt on her friends' faces as they spared her a momentary glance. Her voice called the attention of the harpies, all of whom simultaneously turned towards her. Their faces were human, but contorted with an irrational rage which made them seem demonic. Their bodies were those of women, but they were covered in feathers and had the wings and feet similar to those belonging to birds of prey. Five harpies were visible from Emma's standpoint, but she knew better than to assume that these were the only ones in town. She processed all of this in the seconds it took for the bird-women hybrids to decide to dive towards her, all at once.

Regina grabbed Emma's hand as soon as she registered the creatures' intentions, raising her own palm in their direction and _tugging_ in that now-familiar way. The burst of gold light was instant and effective, shrinking the harpies' wings until they were no longer useful for flight. The creatures found themselves on the ground with only their clawed feet for limbs, but this only seemed to fuel their anger as they forced themselves upright and kept stalking towards their prey.

"Stop! What do you want?" Emma yelled, hoping to avoid killing anyone today. She reached out and pulled Regina's arm back, startling the brunette into halting the flow of magic. Regina shot her an irritated glare but she simply ignored it and shoved the brunette behind her. She didn't question the protective impulse that directed her to place herself in front of the other woman, closer to the line of fire, nor did she wonder why her hand remained in contact with Regina's, instead she caught the gaze of the nearest harpy and _glared_.

The creature's face smoothed out slightly in surprise and she stopped moving, unable to dismiss the power of the strange woman before her. Her sisters froze as well, turning to her in confusion as she tried to overcome the paralysis in her limbs and the compulsion to answer this woman's question.

"You have ripped us from our home," she said slowly, her tongue unfamiliar with the language. "We will take our revenge."

"Why does everyone think it was us? Listen lady, we didn't do this to you." Emma's light eyes were cold and her voice resonated with a strange note of authority that it didn't usually possess. She felt fit to burst, her skin itching as if it were the only thing containing the explosive energy inside her. The magic had changed direction and was now rushing through the blonde, flooding her whole system until she shook with it.

Regina stared at their joined hands, mouth open as she felt her energy being pulled out of her with unprecedented ease. The blonde had not only been able to instinctively draw from her despite not being taught how, but she'd also done so without any resistance from Regina's own magic. Swallowing back her fears, Regina set the significance of that aside for now and turned back to the unexpected events unfolding before her. Hook and Neal were creeping silently closer to the distracted harpies from behind, so she spared them only a cursory glance before fixing her glare instead on each enemy in turn. She didn't dare check the other side of the road for Tinkerbell.

"If not you, then who is responsible?" the head harpy growled, her face twisting further in confusion. Her unnaturally bright blue eyes were narrowed in suspicion and her tiny wings trembled with the effort of trying to move against Emma's wishes. She stood near the border between the town of Storybrooke and the wild forest that had once owned the land, her talons making visible indentations on the grassy surface of the woodland side.

"We don't know, but I swear to you that we will find out." The blonde's voice was firm and confident and every nuance of her being seemed to emanate certainty. The bird-women gazed fiercely at her for a long time, but their heads jerked up upon hearing the call of their sisters. There were at least twenty of them circling in the sky, wings still full-size and beating fiercely against the wind.

"It is of no matter. We do not make alliances, nor do we spare those who would cross us." The head harpy grinned maliciously at Emma, her crooked teeth still stained with redness from her last meal. Her eyes glittered in the dimming light as the sun began its final descent towards the western horizon, and her claws dug deep into soft earth beneath her as she threw her head back and called to her airborne sisters. "You are too powerful to be allowed to live."

"Crap," Emma muttered as the harpies dived towards her at a truly horrifying speed. The grounded versions merely stood in wait, watching with an obscene amount of satisfaction. "Looks like we're gonna need that horse, after all." She wasted no time, tugging Regina towards Pegasus with a desperate urgency.

Hook and Neal ran out from behind the delighted crowd of harpies, holding up chairs as shields and readying their preferred weapons. Hook brandished his sword threateningly and Neal started throwing his new collection of stones, aiming for eye sockets now as his face tightened and his mouth drew into a thin line. Both men ran towards Tinkerbell's tree across the road, where she'd remained all through the confrontation, and they hoped that she could at least help cause a diversion to give Regina and Emma time to mount the flying horse.

Regina climbed onto Pegasus with slightly less grace than usual, causing Emma to blink as that perfect ass was shoved in her face without warning. Once the brunette was seated, she offered Emma her arm and pursed her lips, impatient to get going. The blonde put aside all her confusing thoughts about Regina and wrapped her hand around the other woman's wrist before jumping up and clambering onto Pegasus' back. She had barely settled into position when the horse took off, forcing her to grab onto Regina and awkwardly brushing against the woman's breasts when her hands didn't quite land correctly. Emma was quickly distracted by the imminent attack by harpies, however, and her heart began pounding for an entirely different reason.

Regina guided the horse ever higher, expertly dodging around the harpies' badly planned attacks and ducking under their sharp talons. She clenched her teeth in frustration and tightened her hold on the rope around Pegasus' neck as she tried to think of any solution that would be acceptable to the blonde sitting behind her. The arms around her waist tightened reflexively every time a harpy came too close and it caused the ache in her chest to throb with the desperate need to protect her true love at all costs. There was nothing for it, then. The decision was made.

"Hold onto me, Emma, I'm going to kill them all." The brunette's voice was harsh and emotionless and the blonde had to take a moment to gasp a breath. "Don't you dare try to stop me this time. We've tried your way." Emma couldn't argue with that, but her stomach twisted as she anticipated the event that was about to occur. She thought desperately of Henry and how this was about protecting him, but she still couldn't shake the sensation of wrongness.

There was no time to think any more. Regina lifted her arms and reached towards the next attacker. She readied her own magic and tugged on Emma's energy, but didn't release the golden light until her palm was almost close enough to touch the harpy's face. The creature screeched in agony, falling out of the sky and allowing Regina to move on to the next threat. This continued for some time, with the brunette directing Pegasus using only her thighs and while she attempted to counteract the effects that Emma's anxious hold had on her balance.

When all the creatures had been dealt with, Regina closed her eyes and slowly lowered her arms to stroke Pegasus' mane. She let out a long sigh before leaning forward and quietly requesting that they land. Emma didn't make a sound as the horse descended, but Regina could feel the blonde' short breaths against her neck as the woman's face remained pressed into the gap between her head and right shoulder. Regina's throat felt constricted and her eyes threatened to spill over into endless cascades of tears, but she smoothed her expression into a blank mask and refused to let her fear humiliate her in the inevitable confrontation.

Regina kept her eyes closed even when Pegasus' hooves met the floor and Emma slid off the horse's back, only announcing her actions with a quiet rustle of fabric. When the brunette heard the sound of muffled laughter, she frowned and opened her eyes, glare ready and pointed in the direction of the sound. The blonde's hand covered her mouth as she guffawed and Regina couldn't fathom what might have caused such a strange reaction. They were surrounded by dead harpies, were they not?

Emma couldn't believe her eyes: she was surrounded by _chickens_. There were around thirty of them and they were all completely still, as if they were experiencing some form of shock. The harpies who had seemed so smug earlier were now batting their ineffective wings in confusion, eyes wide and claws uncertainly reaching for the small, flightless birds. Hook, Neal and Tink were huddled next to the tree they'd run to earlier, pressing hands into various scratches they'd received during the battle and looking on with amazed expressions which were slowly becoming amused. Neal lost it first, exploding into hysterical laughter and desperately holding onto his belly to contain his mirth. The remaining harpies looked incredibly offended at this, but glanced fearfully at Emma and Regina and swallowed back any complaints they may have had. Their scaly legs folded beneath them as Emma watched, and then she was faced with five repentant harpies: eyes downcast and small wings drooping in defeat. The chickens clucked quietly, only to jerk slightly at the sound and looking around as if convinced that somebody else had made the sound. This only caused Hook and Tink to join in with the laughter, their cackling full-bodied and relieved.

"Well, that was unexpected." Regina's eyes were wide as she assessed the chaos she had wrought. Emma turned to her, eyes dancing with joy, and the brunette couldn't resist the urge to smile back, releasing the tension that had built up as she prepared for a far more hostile response. She averted her gaze once more, however, as she awaited the inevitable stream of questions which would follow after Emma moved past the initial surprise.

"Chickens, Regina?" Emma laughed as she spoke, but her mood dimmed as she registered the brunette's clenching hands and unwillingness to look at her. "You really were trying to kill them, weren't you." The last word lacked the inflection of a question and Emma's eyes darkened slightly, but she said nothing further.

"Yes, and I have done so successfully many times." Regina tried to lift her chin, straightening her back and tightening her core so that she would at least give the appearance of superiority and lack of remorse, but as soon as she met Emma's curious gaze her shoulders slumped and her façade crumbled.

"I know you have, Regina," Emma admitted quietly, her voice barely loud enough to be heard over the whistling winds. The sun had almost set and the chill was seeping into the two women's bones like cold fingers sinking into their skin. Emma shivered, pulling her light red jacket more tightly around her and wishing she'd worn a better jumper. Regina's cheeks were pink above the collar of her black coat and Emma tried not to think about how beautiful she was.

"This is not a conversation we should have out here. Let us finish with these creatures first, the promise you that I will answer any question you have." Regina's eyes flickered up to meet Emma's as she spoke, but she quickly returned to her former stance: head tilted forwards, eyes downcast, arms wrapped around her middle and cold fingers curled into tight fists.

"Right," Emma agreed, turning once more to the remaining harpies. "You have two choices: either I allow this woman to turn the rest of you into chickens, or we lock you up. Which will it be?" She placed her hands on her hips and wished she'd thought to bring a sword. She'd steal Hook's, but he was too far away for such a transaction to look casual.

"Can we not form a truce?" The head harpy spoke up, but her head didn't lift to make eye contact and her voice lacked the self-assured confidence from earlier.

"You said it yourself: you do not form alliances or spare your enemies' lives. I can't trust you not to turn on us." Emma's strong words sent a ripple through the small group, causing the harpies to ruffle their feathers and shift in discomfort.

"Make us like our sisters, then." The group leader sighed. "It is better to be free in any form, than to be locked up by strangers."

Emma's brows lifted in surprise, but she motioned Regina forward and linked their hands together so the brunette could cast the spell. She shook her off as soon as the task was done, however, and marched over to the other three. Regina followed slowly, uncertain of where she stood with Emma in that moment.

"There's a whole bunch of chickens just milling about now, are you sure we can't eat them?" Neal looked at the birds, who were now meandering about aimlessly as they came to terms with their new condition.

"No, that wasn't part of the deal. Just because we transformed them into animals doesn't mean they have any fewer rights than we do." Emma glared at the man sternly. "Oh god, I'm starting to sound like an animal rights activist or something. Gag me, please."

"With pleasure," Hook said with his typical salacious grin. Regina resisted the urge to throttle him.

"Save it, dude. Seriously, Tink, what do you see in this guy?" Emma turned her eyes to the fairy and everyone looked vaguely surprised, exchanging quick glances with wide eyes and raised brows. "What? You think I can't catch a clue when it's lobbed right at my face?" Emma shook her head in disappointment. "Look, let's just get back to the mansion before something else tries to kill us. Oh, and Regina? Did you send the werewolves some clothes?" A light blush spread across the blonde's cheeks as she recalled the rather long interaction she'd endured with naked werewolves. Regina merely rolled her eyes and nodded, before sliding her cold hands into her coat pockets and stiffly moving towards her home.

"Wait, there were werewolves? _Naked_ werewolves?" Hook sounded like he'd just been informed it was Christmas.

Tink sighed in disgust and quickly caught up with Emma, falling into step at her side. "Honestly? I have no idea what I'm doing with him half the time, but then he'll turn around and do something incredibly sweet and I just…" she trailed off thoughtfully, shrugging and folding her wings away carefully as she relaxed into her stride. Night had fallen and her skin glistened slightly in the moon's glow.

Emma took the opportunity to surreptitiously cast a glance towards Regina, who was leading Pegasus with a gentleness that contradicted everything she'd ever heard about the Evil Queen. The brunette's left hand stroked the horse's muzzle while her other arm wrapped around his head, keeping his direction steady. Emma watched as the former queen whispered into the horse's ears and smiled softly, unable to summon any anger towards the other woman when she was showing such affection for another living creature. The blonde knew that Regina's past was less than innocent, but she couldn't help but wonder at the question she'd asked so early on in their relationship: _How in hell did you get like this?_ The query seemed to be even more relevant now that she knew who the other woman was. In the end, Emma knew that she could not pass judgement until she'd heard the whole story, not just the biased telling of events from Henry's book.

* * *

Belle greeted them all as soon as they crossed the wards, a big smile forming easily as they approached. She opened her arms and gaily caught each of them in a warm hug, even Regina and Pegasus. The former queen's forehead creased in confusion at the embrace, but she wrapped her arms around the other woman automatically and felt something like relief. Ducking away as soon as she was released, Regina led Pegasus through the gardens around the house until they reached his stable. He nipped at her hair affectionately before trotting inside, carefully folding his wings around his torso before lowering himself into the soft hay. Regina watched with an unconscious smile, her body calming itself after such an eventful day. She closed her eyes, tightening her grip on the lower stable door momentarily and releasing tension in a long exhale. As she secured the horse's shelter for the night, she considered how long it had been since she'd last slept and vaguely hoped that Emma would keep her interrogation short.

Regina opened the back door to the living room, passing through almost silently and allowing herself a moment to assess the situation inside before clearing her throat to announce her presence. Emma and Belle were sat with their backs to her, conversing quietly with Lamia whose bonds had been removed, allowing her relative freedom of motion. She still wore the magical handcuffs however, so her hands were still bound and she couldn't teleport. Hook leaned against a wall, arms folded and eyes narrowed as he observed their 'guest', but Tink and Neal were absent. Regina frowned, but then heard the tell-tale sound of cooking equipment being abused in the kitchen, immediately followed by the playful shouts as the pair took their turn at making dinner. For a moment, she lifted her gaze to the heavens and prayed they'd clean up after themselves this time.

"Oh, good, you're back. Could you take these cuffs off, please?" Lamia sounded far more confident than she had that morning, which honestly surprised Regina. She raised her brows at the impertinence and turned smartly to face Belle, who fidgeted slightly before straightening up and making eye contact with some determination.

"Please, Regina. I've been with her all day and I truly believe she won't do anything." Belle's hands lay flat on her lap and her gaze was steady and beseeching. She was asking Regina to trust her, but Emma and Hook's expressions remained suspicious and disapproving.

"You are aware, of course, that this woman kidnapped my son just this morning and threatened to _burn him alive_." The former queen tilted her head as she spoke, observing Belle's flinch at the words and Lamia's sudden inability to look at her.

Emma got up then, moving determinedly towards Regina only to pause at her side, a frown formed for a moment before her expression cleared and she turned to stand with the brunette, taking an aggressive stance.

"How can you expect us to believe that she won't try again?" Emma asked, a dark tone colouring her voice. The skin around her mouth was tight as she watched Lamia intently and her fists clenched at her sides.

Belle glanced from one mother to the other, thinking of how inconvenient it was that they were now so content to be on the same side. Truly, they made a formidable team. She rose and stood in front of Lamia, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin.

"I don't expect you to believe it," she replied, shaking her head and allowing her shoulders to drop slightly. "I just need you to trust me. This woman has suffered much and I, of all people, know how awful it is to be held prisoner."

Regina's posture softened at Belle's admission and she reached her hand out to Emma, resting it on the small of the blonde's back and soothing the tense muscles there with circular motions. The other woman turned to her, her face creased in question and her jaw tight. Regina gazed calmly back into the eyes that appeared dark green in this light, continuing her ministrations as slowly Emma relaxed beside her. The blonde rolled her eyes and folded her arms before rounding on Belle once more.

"Fine," she snapped. "But before we take the cuffs off, the wards will be adjusted so she can't teleport within them and she won't be able to cross them. Also, Regina and I will build special barriers around Henry's room." Emma looked to Regina for agreement and was met with a single nod as the brunette kept her eyes on Belle and Lamia. Both of whom merely relaxed in relief, before Belle's expression became serious once more and she moved swiftly towards the two mothers, walking past them and gesturing for them to follow her into the garden.

"Emma mentioned to me that your magic has been working strangely?" Belle began, speaking as soon as the blonde had closed the door behind them. Regina nodded slowly, pulling her coat more tightly against her as the crisp April air attempted to brush its chilly fingers against her skin. "I believe it's related to the nature of your magic."

The former queen's forehead creased and she wrapped her arms around her middle as her gaze flickered uncertainly between her companions. Emma shrugged in response, her confusion evident. Belle's eyes brightened and Regina recognised the signs of an impending lesson, but thankfully she often shared the other brunette's enthusiasm for discovering new things, especially on the subject of understanding magic.

"You were born with magic, yes?" Belle barely waited for Regina to confirm, practically bouncing with the need to share her theories. "Well, from everything I've read and seen, I've come to believe that magic itself is neutral in nature, just like any other form of energy. Since you were born with it, you possess it in its purest form so despite what you think, the power inside you is not evil at all. The nature of your magic is decided by the emotions you use to fuel it, so anger and hatred produce only dark energy, whereas thoughts of love and hope produce only goodness." Belle beamed at Regina's shell-shocked expression, ignoring the woman's shaking as she continued. "So, the only logical reason for your inability to cause harm to the harpies, not to mention the Gorgons yesterday, is that you were motivated by some seriously powerful positive emotions. I'd hazard a guess to say you were acting solely out of _love_."

Pleased with her conclusion, Belle waited expectantly for her audience to respond, only to be met with rapid blinking and open mouths from both woman. Sighing with disappointment and despairing at the fact that nobody was sharing her excitement, Belle tilted her head back to watch the stars and felt that familiar longing for adventure – to see those stars appear to move as she travelled across unfamiliar lands. She had resented being left behind when the others travelled to Neverland, but she held onto the belief that she'd have more chances to be her own hero. She closed her eyes against the pain of losing Gold, but refused to be cowed by the challenge of getting him back. She knew he would return, just as surely as she knew that the two women in front of her would find their happy ending.

"What about my mother?" Regina whispered, interrupting Belle's train of thought and returning her to the present moment. Regina's eyes were downcast and Belle watched as Emma bit her lip and stared at the morose brunette beside her. The blonde's thoughts were visible in the twitches of her right hand and Belle huffed in response, rolling her eyes and glaring at the woman pointedly until she got the message and took Regina's hand. Satisfied, Belle smoothed her dress and schooled her face into a neutral expression.

"Your mother was heartless. She cast only dark magic because she lacked the ability to feel the emotions necessary for anything else." She swallowed sympathetically when Regina visibly slumped, causing the blonde to move unconsciously closer to her. Belle reached out a gentle hand and placed it on the former queen's cheek, forcing a small smile before withdrawing. She nodded sharply at Emma before moving around the pair and slipping back inside.

* * *

A few hours later, Regina had rebuilt her façade of confidence and Emma had quietly put the new revelations aside, along with her questions about what this meant about their relationship. They'd distracted themselves by adding the necessary additions to the property wards and taking the handcuffs off Lamia, leaving the woman in Belle's custody with a clear idea of what would happen to her should she step out of line. They'd shared dinner with all the current residents of the mansion, including Henry, who had slept only a few hours and had spent the rest of the time reading to the younger Lost Boys. The food had been brilliant, much to everyone's delighted surprise, and the conversation had been loud and full of laughter. Henry's mothers had ushered him to bed at the usual time, before heading back downstairs.

Now, Regina wordlessly led the blonde into her study and poured them both a glass of scotch upon entering. They took their usual seats stiffly, glancing everywhere except at each other and choosing to refill their glasses as soon as they emptied instead of starting the conversation they both knew was coming. Regina would occasionally open her mouth and lift her eyes, only to turn away again and fold in on herself.

After her second glass, Emma blew out a breath and decided to take the plunge. She was sick of watching Regina's hands twist – it was almost worse than willingly engaging in emotional scenes.

"Okay, start at the beginning. What was it like to grow up with Cora for a mother?"

Regina automatically flinched at the mention of her mother's name, but straightened her spine determinedly, closing her eyes and slowly breathing out through her nose as she gathered herself. When she met Emma's eyes once more, her gaze was steady, her legs were crossed at the ankle and her hands were loosely clasped in her lap.

"I didn't know she was heartless..."

The story of Regina's childhood was more or less what Emma had expected: her mother's abuse; her father's quiet negligence (although the woman spoke of him as if he were the greatest person on Earth, so Emma swallowed back her own opinions) and her true love, Daniel.

"Wait, you're saying that Snow was responsible for his death?" Regina's mouth twisted unpleasantly at the question, but she answered anyway.

"She told my _mother_ about him and our plans to run away." Her voice was tired and she spoke the words as if she'd repeated them many times before. _Perhaps to herself_, Emma thought. "If Snow hadn't interfered, I would be with him right now instead of _here_." Regina drew her legs up onto the chair and seemed to shrink into herself. Emma just watched, tilting her head and considering the brunette in a new light.

"If he hadn't died, Henry wouldn't have lived," she murmured softly, far too aware of the delicacy of the topic and not wanting to shatter the strange peace they had found among the ashes of Regina's past. The brunette jerked out of her reverie at the realisation, her whole body uncurling and her feet silently hitting the soft floor as she stood up and began to pace. Her high heels left marks in the carpet and Emma couldn't help but see all the lives the woman had strode over on her path to vengeance – had they been left with similar scars?

"You're right. Of course, you're right," Regina muttered, her hands nervously fluttering around her middle and her face tense. Suddenly, she stopped. "I meant what I said in Neverland, Emma. I don't regret my actions as the Evil Queen, because they all led to Henry."

Emma's heart clenched at that particular truth and she questioned her own feelings on the matter, but she couldn't force herself to feel any regret either. She felt remorse, of course: she was sorry that those people had to die, but she wouldn't have Regina change her actions because it all led back here, to that beautiful, brilliant boy upstairs. She cleared her throat and squeezed her hands together, avoiding Regina's gaze.

"I still have one more question I need to ask." She raised her eyes and Regina froze, her arms folding across her chest defensively. "Graham. What really happened to him?"


End file.
